D.  P.  SEATON,  D.  D.,  M.  D. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE; 


OR, 


THE  BIBLE  LAND  AND  ITS  REVELATION. 


ILLUSTRATED 

WITH    SEVERAL    ENGRAVINGS    OF    SOME   OF   THE    MOST 
IMPORTANT  PLACES  IN  PALESTINE  AND  SYRIA. 


BY 

D.  P.  SEATOX,  D.  D.,  M.  D. 


PUBLISHING  HOUSE  OF  THE  A.  M.  E    CHURCH, 
631  Pine  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

1895. 


Copyrighted,  1895, 
By  D.  p.  SEATOX,  D.D.,  M.D. 


PREFACE. 


THERE  is  no  name  given  to  a  place  more  familiarly  known  than 
the  title  of  this  book.  The  Land  of  Promise  is  thought  of, 
spoken  of,  and  sought  by  millions  of  beings,  who  are  seeking  rest  for 
their  souls.  The  laud  which  discloses  the  greatest  religious  thought, 
and  furnishes  the  clearest  information  of  the  mercy  and  benevolence 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  "  Land  of  Promise."  jNIany  volumes  have  been 
written  by  learned  authors  on  the  great  truths  it  reveals,  but  they 
have  failed  to  exhaust  its  boundless  historical  developments.  Every 
one  who  visits  that  country  may  find  something  of  profound  interest 
to  write,  which  will  give  the  world  more  information  on  the  facts 
contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  Land  of  Promise  is  the 
country  iu  which  the  principal  events  revealed  to  man  in  the  Bible 
were  developed,  and  where  the  Lord  Jesus  spent  the  most  of  His  time 
teaching  the  Way  of  Salvation.  There  have  been  critical  examina- 
tions made  of  many  of  the  sacred  places  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
and  the  majority  of  the  localities  of  Bible  reference,  satisfactorily 
settled  upon.  There  are  new  investigations  being  made  constantly 
which  furnish  new  historical  matter  for  those  who  write  books  on  the 
Bible  developments  of  the  country.  On  this  account,  every  honest 
author  can  find  something  important  for  the  enlightenment  of  his 
fellows,  and  thus  lend  a  helping  hand  in  lifting  up  mankind  generally. 
This  book  is  intended  to  interest  the  masses ;  therefore  the  writer 
has  taken  great  caution  to  prepare  it  in  a  form  so  plain,  no  one  will 
fail  to  comprehend  it.  If  we  have  succeeded  in  accomplishing  the 
end  in  view,  a  work  of  untold  good  has  been  done,  which  will  be 
gathering  souls  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  for  many  years  to  come. 
The  Land  of  Promise  is  so  replete  with  Bible  history,  no  one  who  will 
take  the  time  to  visit  it,  can  fail  to  see  and  learn  more  of  its  connec- 
tion with  God's  Word  in  one  day  than  he  could  in  a  whole  year's 
study  away  from  it.     For  yeai-s  before  the  author  made  his  first  visit 

iii 


iv  PREFACE. 

to  Palestine,  he  made  a  close  study  of  the  history  and  geography  of 
the  country,  and  was  under  the  impression  he  had  become  so  familiar 
with  it,  that  he  could  point  out  some  of  the  sacred  localities  without 
the  help  of  a  guide ;  but  on  entering  Joppa,  he  soon  found  himself 
incompetent  to  designate  any  of  them.  The  history  of  the  Bible  was 
presented  in  an  entirely  different  light,  and  so  distinctly  clear,  his 
previous  knowledge  of  the  country  seemed  as  but  a  simple  speculation. 
The  author  has  endeavored  to  present  in  this  volume,  an  unbiased 
statement  of  men  and  things,  as  they  appear  now  and  were  in  ancient 
times.  His  object  is  to  more  fully  impress  men  with  the  importance 
of  accepting  the  Word  of  God  upon  the  plain  basis  on  which  it  is 
founded,  and  permit  the  truth  to  have  full  force  in  our  world.  He  aims 
to  produce  several  wonderful  Bible  characters  as  they  were  known 
to  men  in  the  times  they  lived  in  Palestine,  and  call  to  mind  how  the 
Lord  dealt  with  them.  We  have  presented  the  renowned  Patriarch 
with  his  tents  and  herds,  the  King  with  sceptre  ruling  the  nation, 
the  bold  Prophet  proclaiming  messages  of  terror  to  kings  and  subjects 
because  of  their  gross  sins,  and  many  of  the  wonderful  works  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  the  land. 

The  author  had  been  repeatedly  requested,  for  years  before  making 
his  last  visit  through  Palestine,  to  give  a  book  to  the  world  ;  but 
feeling  it  necessary  to  make  another  trip  there  and  spend  more  time 
in  taking  observations,  he  deferred  it  until  the  last  visit  was  finished. 
Now  that  we  have  completed  the  long-desired  task,  we  shall  feel  more 
than  repaid  for  the  time  and  sacrifices  made,  if  this  work  will  accom- 
plish half  the  good  intended.  We  have  taken  pains  to  select  texts 
for  some  of  the  most  important  subjects,  so  that  the  Bible  student 
may  easily  turn  to  them  and  become  more  familiar  with  the  Word  of 
God.  It  has  been  our  aim  to  accord  to  each  race  its  proper  place  in 
history  as  nearly  as  possible ;  especially  the  Hamite,  whom  we  have 
reasons  to  believe  has  been  greatly  slighted  by  many  authors  who 
have  attempted  to  write  his  history  as  relates  to  Palestine.  We 
dedicate  this  work,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  to  the  enlighten- 
ment of  men. 

Washington,  D.  C,  1895. 


CONTENTS. 


PARTS  PAGES 

i.— HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION 1-12 

The  Historical  and  Phy.^ical  Outline  and  Geography  of  Palestine  and  Syria 
—The  Origin  of  Various  Names— Boundary  of  Palestine  Proper— As  Compared 
with  Other  Lands— How  Impressed  when  Approaching  Joppa— Physical  For- 
mation of  the  Country— Mountains  and  Valleys— Carmel,  Sharon  and  Esdrae- 
lon — Hills  of  Bashan— Coast  Plains— Their  Interception— Plain  of  Jericho  — 
Its  immense  Fall— Rivers  in  Palestine  and  Syria— The  Political  Status  of  Syria 
and  Palestine— Information  Furnished  by  Books  of  Old  Testament— The  Law 
Given  in  Time  of  Moses— Friendship  Between  David  and  Hiram — Solomon 
and  Hiram— The  People  Inclined  to  .Idolatry— Work  of  the  Jews  after  Cap- 
tivity—Climate of  Palestine  and  Syria— Skillfulness  of  Phoenicians. 

II.— LIFE    IN    PALESTINE— PECULIAR    CUSTOMS    OF   THE 

PEOPLE 13-19 

Style  of  Dress— Costly  Garments  Owned  by  the  Poor— Style  of  Dress  of  the 
Women  of  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth — Dress  of  Mohammedan  Women— Farm- 
ing Implements— How  Plows  are  Made  and  Used— Armed  Merchants  and 
Shepherds— Long  Standing  Feuds— Land-Marks  Respected— Historical  Asso- 
ciations—First Settlers— How  Homes  are  Built— Variety  of  Climate— People 
of  Lebanon  —  Their  Appearance— Their  Manners  —  Their  Relations  as  to 
Religion. 

III.— OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES 20-40 

FROM  THEIR  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE  TO  THEIK  DISPERSION. 

General  Character  of  Israelites— Their  Criminal  Waywardness — Allotments  of 
Twelve  Tribes— Their  Religious  and  Political  Revolutions— Situation  of  Tribes 
of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  Manasseh— Deborah's  Criticism— Situation  of  Tribes  of 
Judah,  Ephraim,  Simeon,  Benjamin,  and  Dan — Situation  of  Tribes  of  Issa- 
char,  Asher,  Zebulun,  and  Naphtali— Tribe  of  Le\a— Its  Official  Relations  to  the  . 
Others— Their  Cherished  Treasure- The  Tabernacle  Removed  from  Gilgal  to 
Shiloh — Great  Feast  Reunions  —  Shiloh,  a  Religious  Court  of  P*riests  and 
Levites— Office  of  Levites— Office  of  Priests— Israel's  Wayward  Tendency  the 
Signal  of  Their  Decline  —  Israel  given  to  Idolatry — Israel's  Oppression  a 
Di\-ine  Rebuke— Their  Inter- Marriage  with  the  Canaanites— Official  Judges 
who  Deliveied  Israel— Ehud  of  Benjamin,  His  Cunning  Scheme— Ehud's 
Stratagem,  His  Escape— Philistines'  Hostilities  —  Shamgar,  a  Deliverer  of 
Israel— Shamgar,  Judge  of  Israel— Trouble  out  North— Jabin,  King  of  Hazor- 
Deborah  the  Prophetess— Engagement  between  Barak  and  Sisera— Triumph 
of  Israel— Jael,  Sisera's  Destroyer— Israelites  Afflicted  by  Moabites— Gideon 
and  His  Little  Army— Position  of  the  Midianites'  Camp— Gideon's  Attack — 
Death  of  Gideon— Invasion  of  Gilead  by  the  Ammonites— Jephthah,  the 
Victor— His  Rash  Vow— Trouble  with  the  Philistines— Samson,  the  Mighty 
Hero— Samuel,  the  Last  Judge— His  Counsel  to  Israel— Israel's  Anxiety  for  a 
King— Conduct  of  Joel  and  Abijah— Samuel  Anoints  Saul— The  Turning  Point 
in  the  Affairs  of  the  Government— Samuel's  Last  Ad^^ce  to  Israel— Saul  as 
King— David  Chosen  to  Succeed  Saul— Opposition  to  David— Its  Final  Result 
— Transfer  of  the  Kingdom— David  King  of  Israel  -Solomon  on  the  Throne 
—Revolt  of  Ten  Tribes— Worshiping  the  Calves — Southern  Kingdom — Pro- 
phets in  Israel— Israelites  Carried  into  Captivity— Assyrians  Inhabiting  Their 


vi  CONTENTS. 

PARTS  PAGES 

Land— Samaritans  Rejected — The  Jews  Return  from  Captivity— Discord  be- 
tween Jews  and  Samaritans — Services  on  Mount  Gerizim.— Nehemiah  Rebuild- 
ing the  Walls  of  Jerusalem— Ancient  Samaritans— Visit  to  Samaritan  Temple 
—Their  Religious  Devotions— The  People,  Their  General  Bearing —Tribes 
under  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam— Northern  and  Southern  Districts— Silent 
Period— Condition  of  Jews  when  our  Lord  came  oh  Earth— Jews  Subject  to 
Persia— Headquarters  of  Persian  Monarch— A  Strange  Conquest— Rule  of 
Ptolemies— Sanctuary  Robbed — The  Maccabees'  Rule. 

IV.— FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM 41-61 

Situation  of  Joppa — Landing  at  Joppa— House  of  Simon  the  Tanner— Streets 
of  Joppa— Orange  Groves— American  Colony  at  Joppa— Joppa  Pilgrims —Pre- 
paration for  their  Festival— Traders  in  the  City— Plain  of  Sharon- Old  High- 
way—Lydda— Greek  Church  in  Lydda— Ramleh— Tower  of  the  Forty- View 
from  the  Tower— Valley  of  Ajalon—Ai— Israel's  First  Defeat— Ai  Captured  by 
Joshua -Joshua  and  Israelites  go  to  Shechem  — Gibeonites  Visit  Joshua- 
Kings'  Confederacy— Joshua  Responds  to  Gibeonites— Fate  of  Confederacy- 
Joshua's  Prayer  for  Sun  and  Moon  to  Stand  Still— Joshua's  Victory— El-Jib  or 
Gibeon— Bible  Associations— History  of  Gibeou— Naby-Samwill  or  Ancient 
Mizpeh— Situation — View  from  the  Mosque— Ancient  Mizpeh— Present  Vil- 
lage—  Approaching  Jerusalem  from  Joppa— Northern  Confederacy — Jabin 
Forming  a  Confederacy— Jabin  and  His  Allies— March  to  Lake  Merom— 
Situation  of  Battle-tield— The  Great  Battle— Joshua's  Victory. 

v.— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM 62-100 

Approaching  Jerusalem— The  Ancient  and  Modern  Cities— Situation  of  Jeru- 
salem—General  Elevation  of  the  City— Mountains  Around  the  City— City 
Walls— VV^alls  of  To-day— Towers  Along  the  Walls— Gates  of  the  City— Present 
Jerusalem,  the  Modern  City— Division  of  the  City  -Greek  and  Latin  Churches 
— Population  of  Jerusalem— lis  Sanitary  Condition— How  the  Nights  are  Spent 
—  Shining  Light— The  Jews'  Wailing- place -Worship  under  the  Church  of 
England — Witnessing  the  Mournful  Service— What  Jerome  Says  of  This  Place 
—The  Harem  Area— Mosque  of  Omar— The  Castle  of  Antonia—Mt  Moriah  — 
Inscriptions  on  the  Walls— Entering  the  Mosque  of  Omar— The  Sacred  Rock 
— Mohammed  and  Gabriel  -  Cave  below  the  Mosque— Caleph  Omar — Mosque 
of  El-Aksa— Temple  Courts  and  Foundations— Description  of  Temple— When 
Built— Its  Furnishings— Old  Foundations— Ancient  Quarries— Ancient  Jeru- 
salem—Jebns  Captured -Jerusalem  the  Resting-place  of  the  Ark  of  God- 
Jerusalem  During  the  Reign  ot  Solomon— Decline  of  Jerusalem— Inhabitants 
Carried  into  Captivity— Prophecy  of  Isaiah  Fultilled— How  Alexander  the 
Great  Met  the  People— Alexander  and  Antiochus— The  Great  Slaughter- 
Armenians  to  the  Rescue— The  Great  War  for  Liberty— King  Herod's  Reign — 
Zion,  the  Centre  Light — Ziou,  on  Approaching  Jerusalem— How  Situated — 
Mt.  Moriah,  Oman's  Threshing-floor- David's  Sin— Sacrifice  Offered- Inhabi- 
tants of  Mt.  Moriah— Mt.  Akra,  Mt.  Bezetha  -  Mt.  Calvary— Extension  of  Walls 
of  Jerusalem — Existence  of  Tombs  within  the  Present  City  Walls— Great 
Questions  Discussed -The  Tomb  of  Christ— Church  of  Holy  Sepulchre. 

YL— EVENTS  IN    AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM— ITS   MEMORA- 
BLE   PLACES 101-143 

Description  of  Mount  of  Olives— Appearance  from  a  Distance-Fuel  Used  in  Pal- 
estine—A View  of  the  Country  from  the  Mountain— Disciples  Taught  how  to 
Pray— Lazarus  Raised— Bethany— Tomb  of  Lazarus -Our  Lord  en  route  for  Je- 
rusalem-Ride to  Jerusalem -Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem — Our  Lord  Deeply 
Moved  with  Compassion— The  Garden  of  Gethsemane— Tomb  of  the  Virgin 
Mary— Description  of  Tomb— Valley  of  Jehoshaphat— How  Situated— Strong 
Faith  of  the  People  as  to  the  Hi.storieal  Places  of  Palestine— Absalom  Proclaim- 
ing Himself  King— David  and  His  Friends— The  Lovelttai  had  for  David— The 
Returning  of  the  Ark  of  God— David's  Flight— David  in  Exile -Suicide  of 
.Ahithophel— David  Numbers  Those  with  Him  and  Forms  Three  Divisions- 
Absalom  Hanged  in  the  Forest— Breaking  the  News  of  His  Death  to  David- 
David's  Return— Absalom's  Pillar— Valley  of  Hinnom— Valley  of  Giants— Hill 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PAKTS  PAGES 

of  Evil  Counsel— Potter's  Field -Idolatry  of  Israel— The  Kingdom  Embar- 
rassed Solomon's  Early  Blunder -His  Decline  in  Piety— Pools  and  Fountains 
—The  Great  Cisterns— Pool  of  Siloam— Healing  of  the  Blind  Man— Pool  of 
Bethesda  -Healing  of  the  Lame  Man— Siege  of  Titus— Troops  Stationed  at  the 
Foot  of  the  Mount  of  olives— Titus  Marches  to  the  City— Famine  Raging— War 
Among  the  Inhabitants- Titus's  Anxiety  to  Save  the  City— Prophecy  Fulfilled 
Concerning  the  Destruction— Burial  of  the  Dead— Towers  of  Autcmia  Captured 
—The  Second  Edifice  in  Flames  Titus  Offers  Terms  of  Peace— Final  Demoli- 
tion—The Triumphal  Arch— David's  Tomb— Attempts  to  Locate  it  Elsewhere 
—How  Impressed  on  Entering— Tlie  Cnenaculum— Mosque  of  Neby  Da'rid— 
Description  of  Upper  ('hamber— Tombs  of  St.  James  and  Zacharias— Other 
Tombs— Absalom's  Shaft— Tomb  of  Jehoshaphat— Tombs  of  Prophets  and 
Judges— Tomb  of  Helena— Future  of  the  Jews. 

VII.— ANCIENT  HEBRON 144-162 

The  Highway  of  Hebron  and  its  Loneliness— General  Description  of  the  Coun- 
try—Condition of  the  Laud  of  Hebron —Tombs  at  Beth-Zur— The  Highway  to 
Hebron— Sad  Reflections— Beth-Zur— Pleasanr  Reflections— Antiquity  of  Heb- 
ron—Inliabitants  of  Hebrou-DifferetU  Names  given  to  Hebron — Roads  Lead- 
ing to  Hebron— Vineyards  of  Hebron— Watchtowers  and  Watchmen— Historic 
Pools— The  Event  Concerning  Rechab  and  Baanah— Places  of  Interest  to 
Touri.sts- Inhabitants  of  Hebron— Description  of  Streets— The  Situation  of 
Hebron— Feeling  of  the  Inhabitants  to  Visitors— Meaning  of  the  Word  Hebron 
—The  Author's  Experience  Concerning  His  Visit— Description  of  Ramah— 
Oak  of  Mamre— Ancient  Hebron— Accommodations  for  Christians— Facts  Con- 
nected with  Hebron— Patriarchial  Associations— Hebron  as  a  Burial-Place— 
Historical  Associations  of  Hebron— Joseph's  Mournful  Return — Historical  As- 
sociations—Jacob's Burial— The  Mosque  Machpelah— The  Love  of  the  Mo- 
hammedans for  the  Tomb -Treatment  of  Visitors  who  Visit  Them— Descrip- 
tion of  the  Mosque  by  the  Prince  of  Wales— The  Entrance  to  the  Mosque- 
Description  of  the  Shrine  of  Abraham  and  Sarah— Shrines  of  Jacob  and  Leah 
— Shrine  of  .loseph— Description  of  the  Shrine  of  Joseph— Historical  Associa- 
tion of  Hebron— Value  of  the  Investigation  Made  by  the  Prince  of  Wales- 
Desirable  Situation  and  General  Condition  of  the  Land  of  Canaan— Ancient 
Inhabitants  of  Hebron— A  Great  Refuge  City— The  Custom  of  Blood  Revenge 
—Cities  of  Refuge  in  which  there  were  Judges— Names  of  Cities— Hebron  the 
First  Capital  During  David's  Reign— Installation  of  David  as  King— Hebron 
as  Headquarters  of  a  Latin  Bishopric— Possessed  by  the  Moslems— Jews'  Con- 
nection with  Hebron— Treatment  of  the  Author  by  Inhabitants— The  Domi- 
nant Inhabitants  of  Hebron. 

VIII.— FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM 163-224 

Places  of  Interest  Along  the  Road— Valley  of  Giants- Well  of  the  Wise  Men- 
Tomb  of  Rachel— Well  of  David— Church  of  the  "Holy  Nativity  "—Ancient 
Inns— Description  of  the  Holy  Nativity— Altar  of  the  Magi— Joseph  and  Mary 
Journeying  from  Nazareth— The  Advent  of  Jasus— Solomon's  Porch— Solo- 
mon's Gardens  and  Orchards— Mar  Saba— Site  of  the  Convent- Places  of 
Interest  from  Bethlehem  to  Jericho— The  Well  Bir  Essuk— Character  of  the 
Bedouins— Wilderness  of  Judea— Wilderness  of  Engedi— Dead  Sea— Mountains 
of  Sodom— Cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  -The  Vale  of  Siddim— Location  of 
Zoar— Earthquakes  as  a  Work  of  Destruction— The  Amorite.s— The  Hot  Springs 
— Judah  and  Israel  Combined  Against  Moab  —The  Valley  of  the  Jordan— Plain 
of  Jericho— City  of  the  Palm  Trees— The  Jordan  River— The  Faithfulness  of 
the  People  of  Palestine  for  their  c;hurch  Services— Nebo  and  Pisgah— The 
View  of  Moses— Joshua  Camped  at  Gilgal— The  Three  .Terichoes -Spring  of 
Elisha— The  Second  Jericho -The  Brook  Cherith— The  Highway  to  Jericho- 
Mount  of  Temptation. 

IX.— FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SRECHEM 225-272 

Preparation  for  the  Journey— The  Customs  and  Situation  of  the  People  in  the 
Interior— Places  of  Interest  on  the  Damascus  Highway— Mount  Scopus— The 
Last  Sight  of  the  Holy  City— Scenes  Along  the  Road— The  Village  of  Sha'fat 
—Ancient  Nob,  Its  Memorable  Events-Gibeah,  the  Birth-place  of  Saul-Riz- 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PARTS  PAGES 

pah's  Devotion— The  Levite  and  Benjamite— Ramah  of  Benjamin— Situation 
of  Beeroth— Ramah  and  Its  Population  -The  Character  of  the  Mohammedans 
—Bethel  and  Its  Condition— The  Altar  of  Abraham  and  Jacob -Bethel  a  Judi- 
cial Station— Jeroboam's  Idolatrous  Worship -Dan  and  Bethel  as  Two  Places 
for  Worship  — Reign  of  Josiah— The  Reign  of  Ahab— The  Reign  uf  Solomou  — 
Rehoboam'.<  Reign  Over  Israel— The  Reign  of  Pious  Asa— Victory  of  the  Cush- 
ite  King— Niunber  of  Kings  After  Asa— Bethel,  the  Home  of  the  Prophet — 
Present  Situation  of  Bethel— Ancient  Shiloh— History  of  Shiloh— Important 
Events  at  Shiloh— The  Present  Appearance  of  Shiloh -The  Road  from  Shiloh 
to  Labonah— Ancient  Tombs— The  Plain  of  Mukhna  -Mt.  Uermon  Seen  From 
Mukhua— Well  of  Jacob— History  of  the  Samaritans— Conversation  Between 
Our  Saviour  and  the  Woman  of  Sychar— Temple  fin  Mt.  Gerizim- Jacob's  Well 
and  Its  Surroundings— The  Tomb  of  Joseph— Shechem  and  .'^ychar— Moses' 
Relation  to  Mt.  (4erizim  and  Ebal— Historical  Association  of  Mt.  Gerizim  and 
Ebal— View  from  Mt.  Gerizim  and  Ebal— Backsheesh. 

X.— SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN 273-339 

The  Road  from  Shechem  to  Samaria,  or  Sebastiyeh— The  Pool  of  Samaria 
—Kings  of  Israel— Change  of  Dynasties— Jehtt's  Reign— Temple  of  Baal— 
The  Syrian  Inva.sion— Jehu  Anointed— Death  of  Joram  -Death  of  Jezebel 
—Reign  of  Jeroboam— Reign  of  Shallum— Pul.  King  of  Assyria —Attack 
Upon  Israel— Shalmaneser  Invades  Samaria— Descripiion  of  Ancient  Sites— 
The  Situation  and  Environment  of  Dothan— Plain  of  Esdraeloii — Mount 
Gilboa— Cities  of  Philistia— The  Site  of  Ancient  Jezreel— Naboth's  Vineyard 
—Ancient  Nain— Historical  .\ssociations— Visit  to  Shunem. 

XL— NAZARETH 340-356 

Nazareth  the  Home  of  Our  Lord  -The  Visit  of  Jesus  to  Galilee— Phoenician 
Possessions  in  Galilee— Hamitic  Possessions  in  Galilee— Christ's  Removal 
from  Bethlehem— Childhood  of  Our  Lord  in  Xazareth— Baptism  of  .Tesus- 
First  Miracle— Establishment  of  the  Christian  Church— Church  of  Annun- 
ciation—Feeding the  Five  Thousand— Christ's  Social  Life— Why  Jesus  was 
Rejected— Mount  of  Precipitation— The  Ministry  of  Our  Lord— Village  of 
Gath-hepper. 

XII.— MOUNT  CARMEL 357-387 

Description  of  Mount  Carmel— The  Athlit— Simon  Bar-Cochebas.  or  ''Son  of 
the  Star  "—Situation  of  the  Carmelite  Convent— Location  of  Acre- Pasha 
of  Acre- The  Ladder  of  Tyre— Sidon  the  Mother  of  Tyre-  Situation  of  Tyre 
— Shalmaneser's  Invasion  of  TjTe- Nebuchadnezzar's  Invasion  of  Tyre. 

XIII.— DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS 388-399 

Situation  of  Damascus— River  Barada— Saul  Arrested  while  on  His  Mi.ssion 
of  Persecution— Its  Buildings— Some  of  Her  Rulers— First  View  of  the  City 
—Present  Inhabitants— Annual  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca— Principal  Places  of 
Amusement— The  Great  Cafe— Its  Walls  and  Houses— Mohammedans'  Hatred 
Towards  Christians— The  City  Seized  by  Tiraour— The  Street  Called 
"Straight"  and  Others— The  Great  Mosque —House  of  Rimmon— Greek 
Inscription  on  Wall. 

XIV.— THE  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS  AND  NOTED  PLACES  ROUND 

ABOUT 400-440 

Route  from  Nazareth  to  Tiberias— View  of  Mt.  Tabor— Ascent  of  Mt.  Tabor 
—Journey  from  Tabor  to  Tiberias— Caravan  Road  from  Jerusalem  to  Damas- 
cus—Character of  the  Natives— The  ''Mount  of  Beatitudes"  or  "  Horns  of 
Hatten  "—Time  Spent  in  Galilee— The  Environments  of  the  Sea  of  Tiberia< 
—Visit  to  Decapolis— Visit  to  Magdala— Visit  to  C;csarea  Philippi— Mt. 
Hermon— Sea  ot  Tiberias  and  Its  Situation— Fish  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee- 
Custom  of  the  Fishermen— Town  of  Tiberias— I'lain  of  tiennesaret- Spiings 
of  Lake  Gennesaret— Old  Testament  Associations— Ancient  Magdala -The 
Latin  Convent— Ruins  of  Chorazin— The  Two  Bethsaidas. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


EEV.   D.  P.  SEATOX,  D.D.,  M.D .    .  Frontispiece. 

MAP  OF  PALESTINE Facing  p.ge       1 

VIEW  OF  JERUSALEM "  62 

JEWS'  W AILING-PLACE "  72 

MOUNT  ZION "  91 

CHURCH   OF  THE  HOLY   SEPULCHRE "  99 

MOUNT  OF  OLIVES "  102 

GARDEN   OF  GETHSEMANE "  108 

THE  TOWER  OF  DAVID "  143 

VIEW  OF  BETHLEHEM "  16.3 

CHURCH  OF  THE   NATIVITY  (INTERIOR),  BETHLE- 
HEM    •'  169 

CONVENT  OF  S.  SABA "  179 

THE  DEAD  SEA "  186 

VIEW  OF  THE   JORDAN "  208 

NABLOUS   (SYCHAR  OR   SHECHEM) "  265 

NAZARETH •  341 

MOUNT  TABOR "  400 

THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE "  432 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


PAET  I. 
HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION. 

The  Historical  and  Physical  Outline  and  Geography  of  Palestine  and  Syria — The 
Origin  of  Various  Names — Boundary  of  Palestine  Proper — As  Compared 
witli  Other  Lands — How  Impressed  when  Approaching  Joppa — Physical 
Formation  of  the  Country — Mountains  and  Valleys — Carmel,  Sharon  and 
Esdraelon — Hills  of  Bashan — -Coast  Plains — Their  Interception — Plain  of 
Jericho — Its  Immense  Fall — Rivers  in  Palestine  and  Syria — The  Political 
Status  of  Syria  and  Palestine — Information  Furnished  by  Books  of  Old  Testa- 
ment— The  Law  Given  in  Time  of  Moses — Friendship  Between  David  and 
Hiram — Solomon  and  Hiram — The  People  Inclined  to  Idolatary — Work  of 
the  Jews  after  Captivity — Climate  of  Palestine  and  Syria — Skillfulness  of 
Phoenicians. 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  VARIOUS  NAMES. 

THE  cause  of  the  various  names,  by  which  this  country  is  known, 
originates  from  the  people  who  composed  its  chief  inhabitants ; 
or  some  particular  event  which  brought  it  into  prominent  notice. 

It  is  called  "  The  Land  of  Canaan  ;  "  this  name  was  given  it  after 
the  general  name  of  the  Sons  of  Canaan,  the  youngest  son  of  Ham, 
and  grand-son  of  Noah,  who  settled  in  the  country  in  great  numbers, 
divided  the  most  inviting  portions  among  themselves,  greatly  mul- 
tiplied, and  became  a  strong,  warlike  and  thrifty  people. 

It  is  also  called  "  The  Promise  Land ; "  from  the  promise  God 
mad  Abraham,  concerning  the  place  his  posterity  should  inhabit.  St. 
Paul  says  of  Abraham,  that  "  By  faith  he  became  a  sojourner  in  the 
land  of  promise,  as  in  a  land  not  his  own,  dwelling  in  tents,  with  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  heirs  with  him  to  the  same  promise." 

It  was,  after  the  Hebrews  entered  and  settled  in  the  country,  gener- 
ally known  as  the  land  of  Israel,  from  the  general  name  given  to  the 
posterity  of  Jacob.  After  the  revolt,  the  whole  tract  of  country  occupied 
1  1 


2  THE   LAND   OF   PROMISE. 

by  the  chosen  people  was  known  by  two  general  names :  that  portion 
inhabited  by  the  loyal  tribes  was  called  "  The  Land  of  Judah,"  and  that 
belonging  to  the  revolters  was  called  "The  Land  of  Israel."  It  seems 
the  whole  land  was  finally  called  Judea.   (See  Heb.  xi :  9 ;  Psa.  Ixxvi :  1 ) 

The  whole  tract  of  country  inhabited  by  the  Jews  was,  after  their 
return  from  captivity,  called  the  Holy  Land  ;  which  seems  to  have 
been  given  and  designated  as  the  land  selected  of  God  to  be  the  chief 
seat  of  His  worship  and  the  inheritance  of  those  whom  He  had  chosen ; 
it  was  called  "  Holy  Land,"  by  Christians  because  Christ,  the  "Holy 
One,"  was  born  there  ;  and  the  principles  He  came  to  teach  and  estab- 
lish were  first  sent  to  the  world  from  this  country,  by  the  Apostles,  after 
the  tragic  scene  of  the  agony  of  our  Lord  on  the  memorable  day  of 
His  crucifixion. 

This  name  is  highly  significant,  and  at  once  strikes  the  mind  of 
one  that  some  particular  history  belongs  to  this  country  which  makes 
it  peculiar  and  more  noteworthy  than  any  other  land  in  the  world. 

Palestine  is  now  generally  adopted  as  the  name  of  the  "  Promise 
Land,"  which  is  derived  from  the  Philistines,  who  settled  and  greatly 
multiplied  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  country  along  the  coast ;  this 
name  was  at  first  (according  to  custom)  confined  to  the  territory  occu- 
pied by  them,  but  of  late  the  whole  land  which  the  Israelites  inhabited, 
both  on  the  east  and  west  of  the  Jordan,  was  known  as  Palestine. 
When  this  name  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  it  refers  to  Philistia,  or  the 
territory  occupied  by  the  Philistines. 

The  boundary  of  "  Palestine  proper,"  is  the  Lebanon  mountains  on 
the  north,  by  the  great  d&sert  of  Arabia  on  the  east,  on  the  south  by 
Idumea  and  the  Wilderness  of  Tih,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea ;  it  is  about  two  hundred  miles  in  length,  an  average  of 
sixty  miles  in  width,  with  an  area  of  twelve  thousand  square  miles  (see 
Zach.  ii:  12;  Joel  iii:  4;  Exod.  xv:  14;  and  Isa  xiv:  29-31). 

But  Syria-Palestine  is  the  name  by  which  the  "  Promise  Land  was 
familiarly  known  in  the  time  of  Herodotus,  whose  writings  precede  all 
others  known  relative  to  the  history  of  the  Land  of  Promise."  He  is 
the  first  to  bring  this  name  into  prominent  mention.  Although  Syria 
and  Palestine,  connected  under  one  sovereign,  embrace  less  territory 
than  some  of  our  largest  States,  such  as  New  York  or  Pennsylvania, 
there  is  no  country  in  the  world  embracing  so  much  history ;  because 
of  which  the  whole  civilized  world  have,  from  the  earliest  historic 
times  to  the  present,  directed  their  attention  toward  it,  and  have  written 
thousands  of  valuable  volumes  from  the  contents  of  its  exhaustless 
treasury  of  superior  historical  greatness. 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION.  3 

Should  we  compare  this  small  territory,  which  contains  the  most 
important  issues  of  our  world,  to  other  lands,  we  must  conclude  that  it 
was  of  all  others  the  most  secluded,  as  if  hemmed  in  by  God  himself 
expressly  for  the  protection  of  His  people. 

The  whole  of  Syria,  connected  with  the  "  Land  of  Promise,"  adds 
largely  to  the  boundaries,  as  described  above.  It  measures,  according 
to  careful  estimation,  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  Asia-Minor 
on  the  north,  to  the  Wilderness  of  Tih  and  ancient  Edom  on  the 
south,  with  an  area  of  twenty-eight  thousand  square  miles.  The  first 
thing  that  forcibly  struck  my  attention  when  approaching  Joppa  was 
the  high  border  laud  along  the  coast,  with  a  few  intervening  depressions 
at  wide  distances,  through  which  great  rocks  were  spread  into  the  shoal 
water.  I  said,  God  has  thrown  up  a  mighty  bulwark  on  the  border 
land  for  the  protection  of  His  chosen  people. 

THE  MOUNTAINS. 

The  physical  formation  of  the  country  is  very  mountainous.  A 
range  of  mountains  runs  through  it  from  north  to  south.  This  moun- 
tain chaiu  is  intersected  at  several  points  by  valleys  and  plains,  so  as 
to  give  us  a  physical  and  historical  series  of  distinct  ranges ;  the  most 
lofty  of  them  are  on  the  north,  and  can  be  seen  a  long  distance, 
especially  by  those  going  northward. 

Ebal,  Gerizim,  Tabor,  Carmel,  Nazareth,  Hermon,  Lebanon,  and 
Ante-Lebanon,  are  all  approached,  as  the  traveler  proceeds  northward, 
from  east  and  south.  The  two  last  named  were  known  in  Jewish 
times  as  Lebanon,  and  the  low  land  intercepting  the  double  range  as 
the  Valley  of  Lebanon  ;  and  sometimes  it  is  called  by  historians  Coele- 
Syria,  which  means  the  "  Hollow  Syria."  Subsequently  the  name  of 
this  double  range  was  changed  by  the  early  writers,  so  that  the  range 
on  the  west  fronting  the  sea  was  called  Lebanon,  and  the  one  sloping 
on  the  east  toward  Damascus  was  called  Ante-Lebanon. 

But  it  should  be  remembered  the  Bible  makes  no  such  denomina- 
tional distinction  ;  both  ranges  are  known  in  it  as  Lebanon.  The 
highest  point  of  Mount  Lebanon,  which  runs  southwest  from  a  broad 
opening  between  the  sea  and  the  eastern  plain,  caused  by  an  abrupt 
termination  of  the  Nusaiviyeh  range  at  the  Castle  of  Husn,  runs  as 
far  south  as  the  latitude  of  Tyre,  at  which  point  it  is  intersected  by  the 
"  ravine  of  the  Latiny."  South  of  the  river  the  Lebanon  range  is 
much  wider  and  lower,  and  continues  more  and  more  so  until  it  termi- 
nates in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  Carmel,  the  lofty,  runs  between  this 
plain   and   Sharon.     On  the  coast  and  on  the    south  of    Esdraelon 


4  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

(see  Josh.  xi.  17)  are  the  mountain  ranges  of  Samaria  and  Judea, 
running  through  the  centre  of  the  country,  and  finally  sink  away  in 
the  desert  a  little  to  the  north  of  Beersheba. 

The  neighboring  range,  or  we  may  say  the  sister  chain,  is  Ante- 
Lebanon,  running  parallel  with  Lebanon,  and  takes  its  rise  in  the  plain 
of  Hamah,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  the  northern  extremity  of  Leb- 
anon, and  gradually  rises  in  elevation  until  it  culminates  at  Mount 
Hermon,  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Thence  the  ridge 
continues  southward  along  the  east  land  of  the  Jordan,  through  Gilead 
and  Moab,  to  the  mountains  of  Edom,  and  is  succeeded  by  a  ridge 
very  much  -lower,  it  being  only  from  two  to  three  thousand  feet  at  its 
greatest  elevation. 

"The  hills  of  Bashan,"  to  which  considerable  Bible  distinction  is 
given,  are  about  thirty  miles  east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  have  an 
elevation  of  about  five  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  its  modern  name  is  Jehel  ed-Druse. 

PLAINS  AND   VALLEYS. 

There  are  several  plains  and  valleys  in  Palestine  and  Syria,  which 
are  of  great  historical  importance  ;  especially  the  plains  of  Esdraelou 
and  Sharon ;  also,  those  of  the  Jordan  and  Jericho. 

The  coast  plain  is  situated  along  the  sea-border  embracing  Palestine 
and  Syria,  between  the  mountains  and  the  sea,  and  is  intercepted  at 
three  diflferent  points  by  the  mountain  slopes  which  border  on  the 
Mediterranean  ;  these  mountain  extensions  form  elevations  of  consider- 
able height,  so  that  the  plain  is  entirely  barred  off. 

These  breaks  in  the  plain  are  caused  by  the  projections  of  Carmel, 
the  Casius,  and  the  Ladder  of  Tyre.  These  elevations  divide  the 
coast  plain,  so  that  each  division  has  a  dififerent  name ;  the  northern 
division  is  called  the  plain  of  Essus.  The  border  land  of  Phoinicia 
extends  from  Casius  to  the  Ladder  of  Tyre ;  from  thence  to  ]\Iount 
Carmel  lies  the  beautiful  expanse  of  the  plain  of  Acre ;  then  the 
Sharon  plain  extends  south  of  Philistia ;  but  some  writers  call  this 
great  plain  Philistia,  southw^ard  from  Joppa. 

In  those  portions  of  the  plains  where  extensive  table-land  is  prom- 
inent, the  soil  is  rich  and  productive,  especially  in  the  eastern  division  ; 
but  near  the  sea  the  sand  is  very  deep  and  diflicult  to  travel,  especially 
so  between  Kaibo  and  Beyrout,  and  to  make  three  miles  on  a  horse 
would  be  doing  well.  The  most  important  and  fertile  plains  away  from 
the  coast  are  the  Hamah,  the  Damascus,  the  Hauran,  and  Moab.  The 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  through  which  the  river  Kishon  flows,  abounds  in 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION.  5 

pastures  and  cultivated  fields.  The  soil  is  rich  and  highly  productive. 
This  is  the  most  historic  plain  in  Palestine ;  it  intersects  the  central 
range  of  mountains,  running  from  Mount  Lebanon  southward. 

The  plain  or  valley  of  Lebanon,  of  which  mention  has  been  made, 
is  situated  between  Lebanon  and  Ante-Lebanon,  known  as  Coele-Syria, 
and  is  one  of  the  richest  tracts  of  land  in  Syria.  It  yields  from  year 
to  year  very  .rich  crops,  and  is  estimated  to  be  about  ninety  miles  long 
and  eleven  broad.  The  inhabitants  do  not  till  the  land  extensively  on 
account  of  the  extortionate  tax  rule  prevalent  in  that  region.  The 
valley  of  the  Jordan  is  that  depression  running  from  north  to  south  in 
Palestine,  and  increasing  in  depth  southward.  The  river  Jordan  flows 
through  it,  and  stimulates  fertility  on  either  side  in  all  tillable  land. 

This  valley,  and  that  known  as  the  plain  of  Jericho,  is  the  same. 
It  is  situated  between  the  lake  Gennesaret  on  the  north,  and  the  Dead 
Sea  on  the  south.  It  is  not  as  wide  as  the  plain  along  the  coast,  except 
on  the  southern  extremity.  Here  it  is  about  tAvelve  miles  wide  ;  this  is 
its  most  expansive  portion. 

It  has  an  immense  fall  between  the  sea  of  Galilee  and  the  Dead 
Sea.  At  this  latter  point,  where  it  terminates,  its  depression  is  thirteen 
hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean,  which  is  the  lowest 
known  spot  of  ground  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  Much  of  the  land 
about  Jericho,  Gilgal,  and  along  the  Jordan,  is  desert ;  which  is  partly 
the  result  of  lethargy,  and  partly  from  poverty.  The  whole  plain,  if 
properly  cultivated,  would  pi'oduce  bountifully ;  but  the  facilities  for 
conducting  agriculture  are  poor  and  far  behind  the  age. 

THE   RIVERS  OF  PALESTINE   AND  SYRIA. 

The  greater  number  of  the  rivers  are  very  small ;  no  larger  than 
many  of  the  ordinary  branches  in  America.  They  are  mostly  winter 
streams,  that  are  produced  by  the  rain  coming  down  from  the  surround- 
ing mountains  ;  they  become  dry  during  the  summer  and  early  fall. 

The  most  important  of  these  rivers  is  the  Jordan,  which  if  it  con- 
tinued its  course  to  the  Dead  Sea  in  a  direct  line  would  only  run  about 
ninety  miles  from  its  source  ;  but  having  such  an  extraordinary  crooked 
course,  it  is  estimated  to  run  at  least  two  hundred  miles.  The  Jordan, 
although  but  a  small  stream  at  its  source,  is  fed  by  several  tributaries 
along  its  course  until  it  becomes  wide  and  deep. 

The  Orontes  ranks  next  in  size  to  the  Jordan ;  its  source  is  in  the 
plain  of  Baka'a  at  the  foot  of  Ante-Lebanon,  near  the  ruins  of  Lylon, 
and  runs  northward  to  the  sea.     On  this  account  it  is  called  "  El-Asy, 


6  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

the  Rebellious."  It  is  also  called  El-Makluh,  "the  inverted."  The 
course  of  the  river  is  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  miles. 

The  next  in  size  is  the  Litany  ;  it  takes  its  rise  near  Baalbek,  and 
flows  down  the  Baka'a,  then  flows  into  a  deep  bed  intersecting  the 
ridge  of  Mount  Lebanon,  and  enters  into  the  sea  a  little  north  of  Tyre. 
The  whole  length  of  the  Litany  is  only  about  fifty -five  miles. 

The  Barada,  the  "  Golden  Flowing,"  is  the  next  in  point  of  im- 
portance ;  this  is  the  Abana,  or  Amana  of  the  Bible ;  one  of  the 
rivers  of  which  Naaman  proudly  boasted  when  ordered  to  wash  in  the 
Jordan  to  be  healed  of  his  leprosy.  It  is  the  most  celebrated  river  in 
Syria,  and  one  of  the  most  useful ;  its  source  is  Ain  Barada  in  the 
plain  of  Zehedani,  but  has  several  tributaries  along  the  Ante-Lebanon, 
which  more  than  double  its  volume.  After  running  several  miles 
through  a  very  wild  and  lonely  district  it  flows  into  the  plain  of  Da- 
mascus, where  many  channels  are  made  to  receive  their  water  for 
irrigation  ;  and  at  length  it  enters  into  a  lake  about  twenty  miles  east 
of  the  city. 

Without  Abana  there  would  be  but  little  cultivation  about  Da- 
mascus. It  may  be  truthfully  called  the  life  of  the  great  Syrian 
metropolis. 

The  other  river  near  Damascus  is  Pharper,  now  called  "Away," 
which  pours  its  waters  into  the  most  southern  of  the  three  lakes  east  of 
the  city ;  it  enters  and  crosses  the  plain  on  the  south  of  Damascus. 

The  Kishon  is  a  river  well  worthy  of  mention,  not  so  much  for  its 
size,  but  because  of  the  Biblical  and  historic  interest  which  clusters 
about  it;  when  compared  to  rivers  in  general  it  has  but  little  if  any 
merit ;  it  may  be  classed  with  the  winter  currents  of  Palestine,  as  it 
is  almost  dry 'during  the  summer  in  its  upper  course,  but  it  is  replen- 
ished in  winter  by  Ihe  repeated  heavy  rains  and  swells  to  the  top  of  its 
banks  and  often  overflows. 

Its  sources  are  several  periodical  springs  near  Jezreel  and  Lejjun 
and  flows  through  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  to  the  northwest,  between 
Mount  Carmel  and  the  hills  of  lower  Galilee,  then  enters  into  the  Bay 
of  Acre,  north  of  Haifa.  The  Belus  river,  called  by  the  natives  Nahr 
Na'aman,  also  flows  into  the  Bay  of  Acre ;  it  has  no  Bible  mention,  but 
is  historically  mentioned  as  the  site  where  the  Phoenicians  first  dis- 
covered glass ;  it  is  one  of  the  smallest  streams  in  the  land  ;  its  entire 
length  is  only  about  six  miles. 

There  are  several  other  smaller  streams  of  which  mention  might  be 
made,  but  they  are  of  no  particular  importance,  except  two  or  three ; 
these  are  the  brooks  Elah,  Cherith  and  the  Kedron  ;  the  history  of 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION.  7 

these  renowned  streams  are  generally  known  to  most  lovers  of  sacred 
history.     The  pools  and  lakes  will  be  noticed  in  other  chapters, 

THE  POLITICAL  STATUS  OF  SYRIA  AND  PALESTINE. 

To  attempt  to  write  an  outline  history  of  the  political  government 
of  Palestine  would  be  certain  failure,  for  it  would  involve  an  investi- 
gation of  the  administration  of  each  ruler  of  the  several  dynasties  who 
in  succession  occupied  the  throne  from  the  first  sovereigns  known  in 
history  to  the  present.  It  is  well  known  to  historians  that  those 
countries  were  almost  constantly  changing  rulers  and  often  dynasties, 
each  of  whom  had  his  own  selfish  ideas  of  administering  the  affairs  of 
the  government,  and  many  of  them  ruled  with  an  iron  sceptre. 

The  Israelites  under  the  leadership  of  Joshua  crossed  the  Jordan 
and  entered  upon  their  promised  possession,  having  Jehovah  as  their 
King  and  supreme  dictator,  about  the  year  fourteen  hundred  and 
fifty,  B.  c,  with  an  ofiicial  in  the  pei'son  of  the  High  Priest  as  minister 
and  expounder  of  his  will. 

The  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament  furnish  all  the  informa- 
tion necessary  in  relation  to  this  subject.  To  establish  its  certainty,  so 
that  an  outline  statement  would  be  instructive  to  the  careful  Bible 
reader,  it  is  sufficient  to  state  that  from  the  time  of  Joshua  to  the 
installment  of  Saul,  the  Benjamite  King  of  Israel,  the  government 
was  in  theory  at  least  a  Theocracy. 

To  what  extent  the  Lord  was  recognized  by  the  new  nation  as  their 
King  cannot  be  fully  understood,  but  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  draw 
our  conclusions  from  their  conduct  toward  Him,  it  would  seem  they 
regarded  Him  as  holding  a  kind  of  local  relation  to  them  especially, 
having  nothing  to  do  with  the  destiny  of  other  nations  and  tribes 
round  about  them. 

They  did  not  appear  to  regard  Him  as  the  High,  Holy  and  Infinite 
God,  who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ;  such  conceptions  of  their 
King  were  too  lofty  for  them ;  therefore,  they  looked  upon  the  god.*;  of 
the  idolaters  in  many  respects  to  be  worthy  of  their  most  sacred  and 
earnest  devotion. 

The  combined  eflR)rts  of  the  prophets  in  connection  with  repeated 
chastisement  from  God  were  not  regarded  as  timely  admonitions 
to  restrain  the  people  fx-om  confident  trust  in  false  gods.  From 
the  time  of  Joshua  to  that  of  the  kings  judges  were  appointed  as  the 
chief  magistrates  with  limited  authority ;  and  in  connection  with  these 
judicial  superintendents  each  tribe  was  allowed  to  have  an  internal 


8  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

government  for  the  regulation  of  domestic  affairs,  according  to  their 
several  necessities. 

It  is  said  each  of  the  tribes  were  divided  into  "  families,"  and  these 
again  were  divided  into  "  households  of  fathers,"  and  each  section  had 
its  head  or  chief,  called  an  "  Elder  "  (Kitto).  All  legislation  needful 
for  the  betterment  of  the  domestic  government  could  be  enacted  bv 
any  tribe  according  to  its  needs  if  it  did  not  conflict  with  the  general 
legislation  for  the  observance  of  the  whole  people  ;  but  when  a  measure 
was  introduced  which  was  general  in  its  bearing,  it  could  not  become  a 
law  without  the  sanction  of  all  the  tribes,  which  was  usually  done 
through  their  representatives. 

This  was  an  old  law  given  in  the  time  of  Moses  ;  it  was  in  this  way 
the  people  proceeded  when  they  elected  Saul,  the  Benjamite,  King 
over  them  about  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  B.  c.  The 
whole  people,  through  their  representatives,  went  from  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  Jehovah  to  that  of  Saul,  notwithstanding  the  protest  of 
Samuel,  whose  keen  foresight  comprehended  the  dreadful  dilemma  in 
which  they  were  placing  themselves.  See  Josh,  xxiii.  2  and  xxiv.  1  ; 
Num.  i.  16  ;  Deut.  xxix.  10. 

King  Saul  was  in  power  forty  years,  but  proved  himself  unworthy 
of  his  position  of  high  trust,  and  the  kingdom  was  changed  to  the 
house  of  David,  son  of  Jesse.  Here  the  dynasty  of  Saul  ended,  for 
not  one  of  his  descendants  was  permitted  to  occupy  the  throne.  David, 
who  while  a  shepherd  boy  having  been  anointed  to  be  successor  to 
Saul,  was  made  king  over  all  Israel,  at  Hebron,  about  the  middle  of 
the  eleventh  century,  b.  c. 

He  may  fittingly  be  called  the  war  king,  for  just  as  soon  as  his 
kingdom  was  firmly  established,  he  turned  his  attention  to  those  pow- 
erful tribes  and  nations  around  him,  and  was  bent  on  conquest.  The 
Philistines,  who  had  given  the  Hebrews  much  trouble,  were  brought 
under  his  control,  and  those  powerful  warlike  people  of  the  different 
tribes,  dwelling  amongst  the  mountains  of  Sinai,  Edom,  Gilead,  Bashan, 
and  the  whole  stretch  of  country  from  that  bordering  on  Egypt  to  the 
Euphrates,  was  made  subordinate  to  this  mighty  Hebrew  king,  except 
that  known  as  Phoenicia  on  the  north,  Avho  lived  on  amicable  terms 
with  David,  and  rendered  valuable  service  to  him. 

Indeed  it  can  be  plainly  seen  that  much  of  the  success  of  the  Hebrew 
kingdom  was  because  of  the  efficient  aid  given  them  by  the  Phoenicians ; 
these  two  nations  composed  of  distinct  social  descendants  lived  side  by 
side  and  amongst  each  other  on  terms  of  friendship. 

David,  King  of  Israel,  and   Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  were  strong 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION.  9 

friends;  as  was  Solomon,  his  successor,  and  there  seems  never  to  have 
been  any  serious  trouble  between  them. 

The  distinguished  King  of  Tyre  was  deeply  interested  in  the  con- 
struction and  completion  of  the  great  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  sent 
skilled  workmen  who  were  celebrated  because  of  their  superior  genius 
in  fine  arts  to  assist  the  Hebrew  workmen  in  fully  completing  the  plan 
designed  of  the  Lord  as  to  the  model  of  His  house  of  worship 

Solomon  was  the  last  king  who  swayed  the  sceptre  over  all  Israel ; 
his  successor  was  Rehoboara,  in  the  beginning  of  whose  reign  ten  of 
the  tribes  revolted  and  called  a  convention  at  Shechem,  and  selected 
Jeroboam,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  to  be  their  king.  With  his  reign  the 
growing  inclination  of  the  people  to  worship  idols  was  greatly  encour- 
aged ;  being  anxious  to  draw  the  people  from  the  temple  worship  at 
Jerusalem,  he  established  two  places  for  religious  assemblies  to  conduct 
their  festivals;  one  was  Bethel,  the  other  Dan.  At  each  place  King 
Jeroboam  set  up  a  molten  calf,  which  was  devoutly  worshiped  by  the 
people  as  symbols  of  Jehovah,  while  he  assumed  the  powers  of  the  royal 
priesthood  as  well  as  king. 

The  kingdom  of  Israel  continued  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
or  until  the  year  seven  hundred  and  twenty-one,  B.C.,  and  was  captured 
by  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria.  The  kingdom  of  Judah  continued 
about  five  hundred  years,  and  was  overthrown  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
King  of  Babylon.  Thus  came  to  an  end  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and 
historic  nations  of  the  world,  which,  from  that  day  to  the  present,  has 
not  been  able  to  regain  the  country  chosen  for  them  as  an  independent 
government. 

They  were  permitted  to  return  from  captivity  after  the  Kingdom 
of  Babylon  fell  into  the  hands  of  Gyrus  about  the  year  five  hundred 
and  thirty-six,  B.C.  (See  1  Kings  xii.  28,  29;  2  Kings  xxv.).  These 
emancipated  Jews  began  to  rebuild  their  demolished  city,  a  second 
temple  was  built,  and  in  process  of  time  the  whole  city  was  surrounded 
by  walls,  and  the  chosen  people  finally  became  settled  for  a  time  in 
their  own  land;  but  it  was  not  permanent,  for  they  were  again  woefully 
subdued  by  the  Romans  in  the  year  seventy,  A.D.,  and  finally  became 
dispersed  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  and  their  country,  which  was 
cunningly  and  restlessly  sought  by  many  powerful  nations,  successfully 
passed  from  one  dominion  to  another,  until  at  length  it  went  under  the 
control  of  the  Turks,  in  whose  custody  it  is  at  present. 

Palestine  and  Syria  are  now  divided  into  three  Pashale'ks  or 
Wilayets ;  each  having  a  governor  appointed  by  the  Sultan  to  oversee 
the  domestic  affairs  and  guard  the  interest  of  Turkey.    The  Jews,  who 


10  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

about  eighteen  hundred  years  ago  were  compelled  to  leave  the  cherished 
land  of  their  fathers,  have  ever  held  it  in  sacred  memory ;  thousands  of 
these  scattered  people  are  returning  from  their  dispersions  and  are 
settling  in  and  about  the  Holy  City. 

Many  of  them  have  built  comfortable  homes  in  which  to  spend 
their  lives ;  such  w^as  the  rush  for  building  sites  by  this  people,  an  order 
was  issued  by  the  Turkish  authorities,  that  no  more  land  should  be 
sold  to  them  until  further  orders.  The  Jews  of  Palestine  live  mostly 
in  Jerusalem,  Hebron,  Tiberias  and  Safed;  these  are  known  as  their 
Holy  Cities.  Then  thousands  of  pilgrims  visit  these  places  of  sacred 
memory  every  year,  at  each  of  which  they  shed  a  tear,  impress  a  kiss, 
and  devoutly  kneel  in  earnest  supplications  for  the  return  of  their 
former  joys. 

CLIMATE. 

The  variations  of  climate  in  Palestine  and  Syria  are  more  numerous 
than  in  any  other  country  in  the  world,  covering  the  same  number  of 
square  miles.  Down  in  the  extreme  east  and  southeast  it  is  unbeara- 
bly warm  in  summer,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  winter,  it  is  as 
warm  as  in  many  portions  of  America  in  summer. 

There  can  scarcely  be  a  place  in  any  of  the  plains  of  the  East  Indies 
warmer  than  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  or  the  plain  down  about  the 
Dead  Sea.  But  as  the  heights  of  Judah  are  ascended  going  towards 
Jerusalem  a  perceptible  and  gratifying  change  is  experienced  in  the 
climate;  the  changes  in  the  atmosphere  depend  largely  upon  the  eleva- 
tions and  nature  of  the  soil.  Jerusalem  is  about  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  Dead  Sea,  and  has  the  benefit  of  daily  refreshing  breezes, 
yet  the  city  in  the  summer  is  oppressingly  warm ;  this  is  caused  by  the 
intense  heat  reflected  from  the  white  rocks  which  are  in  great  numbers 
round  about  the  city. 

Persons  going  from  our  country  to  Jerusalem  in  the  hot  season  are 
compelled  to  remain  in-doors  from  early  morn  until  near  night-fall ; 
therefore  little  or  no  satisfaction  is  given  sight-seers. 

The  changes  of  the  weather  common  to  us  throughout  the  year  are 
not  known  in  Palestine  and  Syria ;  the  sky  is  almost  cloudless  from  the 
last  of  April  to  the  first  of  October,  during  which  time  the  most  of  the 
springs  and  streams  dry  up  and  the  whole  face  of  the  ground  becomes 
parched  and  vegetation  looks  as  if  it  had  been  burned  by  fire,  except 
in  a  few  spots  where  perennial  streams  flow. 

During  these  seasons  traveling  is  not  only  tedious,  but  dangerous ; 
in  February  the  rains  are  the  most  frequent;  many  times  intermittent 
showers  of  fine  hail  fall  thick  and  fast,  so  that  it  is  necessary  to  protect 


HISTORICAL   INTRODUCTION.  U 

the  face  from  the  injury  one  would  sustain  if  left  exposed.  Snows  are 
also  common  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter ;  it  sometimes  falls  a  foot 
deep,  but  is  of  short  duration,  seldom  lasting  more  than  a  day;  the 
coldest  weather  is  not  severe,  and  people  go  all  the  year  without  shoes ; 
we  have  seen  them  about  Bethany  and  Jerusalem,  walking  about  in  the 
snow  barefooted  without  hesitation. 

There  is  but  little  ice  seen  in  the  coldest  parts,  except  on  the  highest 
mountain  peaks,  where  snows  continue  almost  the  year  round,  as  on  the 
highest  peaks  of  Hermon  and  Lebanon.  I  call  to  mind  my  journey 
from  Beyroute  to  Damascus ;  we  had  to  cross  the  summit  of  Mt.  Leba- 
non and  in  many  places  the  snow  was  so  deep  I  could  stretch  out  my 
arm  and  gather  it  while  sitting  on  my  horse,  sometimes  reaching  up 
to  get  it. 

But  on  the  southern  slope,  where  the  altitude  is  lower  than  two 
thousand  feet,  snows  are  seldom  seen.  The  barley  harvest  begins  as 
early  as  the  middle  of  April,  in  the  Jordan  valley,  and  the  wheat  harvest 
about  the  first  of  May.  In  southern  Palestine  among  the  hills  reaping 
begins  about  the  first  of  June ;  and  in  Lebanon,  where  the  altitude  and 
climate  is  cooler,  the  harvest  generally  begins  about  the  middle  of  June. 

When  the  Hebrews  entered  the  land  they  found  the  whole  sea  coast 
inhabited  by  a  sti'ong  and  vigorous  people,  who  were  conducting  a  most 
lucrative  business  in  all  parts  of  the  inhabited  world ;  they  were  the 
early  settlers  of  the  country  and  had  made  wonderful  progress. 

The  Phoenicians,  sometimes  known  as  Sidonians  and  Tyrians,  who 
inhabited  the  coast  of  Syria  from  Jeliel  on  the  north  to  Acre  on  the  soutli, 
were  descendants  of  Canaan,  and  were  of  Hamitic  stock  or  race ;  tliis 
powerful  and  energetic  people  were  never  expelled  from  their  territory 
by  the  Hebrews,  as  were  several  of  the  tribes  belonging  to  their  race, 
but  continued  living  on  the  most  friendly  terms  with  Israel  during  the 
whole  time  they  possessed  the  "  Promise  Land,"  and  were  of  great  ser- 
vice to  them  in  aiding  them  on  the  sea  with  their  vessels,  and  in  sending 
them  skilled  laborers  to  perform  intricate  work  at  Jerusalem. 

There  was  such  friendship  existing  between  them  that  several  inter- 
marriages took  place  amongst  them,  especially  the  higher  classes,  and 
there  are  no  reasonable  grounds  to  doubt  that  such  relation  existed 
amongst  the  poorer  people. 

Color  was  not  a  barrier  as  in  America  ;  it  was  not  this  characteristic 
which  regulated  social  relations,  but  rank  and  fitness  were  the  ties 
which  bound  them.  If  the  people  of  our  country  would  copy  their 
example  society  would  greatly  profit  by  it. 

The  Phoenicians  were  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  skillful  and  Indus- 


12  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

trious  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth ;  the  Philistines  were  also  a  power- 
ful race,  who,  of  late  years,  have  been  traced  by  some  historians  to 
Japhetic  origin.  They  were  a  people  of  warlike  courage  and  greatly 
troubled  Israel ;  it  is  thought  they  are  identical  with  the  Cherethites 
or  Cretans  in  the  Bible,  but  were  mixed  with  other  tribes,  as  has  always 
been  common  in  Palestine.  (See  1  Sam.  xxx.  14;  Ezek.  xxv.  16; 
Zeph.  ii.  5.) 


PART    II. 

LIFE    IN    PALESTINE— PECULIAR    CUSTOMS    OF    THE 

PEOPLE. 

Style  of  Dress — Costly  Garment  Owned  by  the  Poor — Style  of  Dress  of  the 
Women  of  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth — ^Dress  of  Mohammedan  Women- 
Farming  Implements — How  Plows  are  Made  and  Used — Armed  Merchants 
and  Shepherds — Long  Standing  Fends — Land-Marks  Respected — Historical 
Associations — First  Settlers — How  Homes  are  Bnilt — Variety  of  Climate — 
People  of  Lebanon — Their  Appearance — Their  Manners — Their  Relations 
as  to  Religion. 

STYLE  OF    DRESS. 

THE  same  style  of  dress  obtains  (with  but  few  exceptions),  among 
both  sexes,  as  were  known  in  the  time  of  our  Lord  and  the  early 
Church  fathers.  The  most  of  them  wear  loose  garments  something  like 
those  represented  on  ancient  pictures  as  far  back  as  patriarchal  times. 
In  some  instances  the  costumes  of  the  men  and  women  vary  such  a 
little,  it  is  hard  to  tell  one  from  the  other  in  the  distance ;  but  on 
approaching  them  they  are  easily  distinguished.  There  seems  to  be 
but  little  changing  to  suit  the  weather,  except  the  head-dress.  More 
care  is  taken  of  it  than  of  any  other  portion  of  the  body  ;  which,  in 
cold  weather,  the  natives  carefully  cover  with  a  shawl,  while  their 
lower  limbs  are  left  unprotected.  This  is  done  by  the  merchant,  the 
farmer,  and  the  peasant.  Men  and  women  can  be  seen  out  when  it  is 
very  cold  having  their  heads  wrapped  so  carefully  that  nothing  but 
their  eyes  can  be  seen,  and  wearing  short  dresses,  reaching  just  a 
little  below  their  knees,  without  shoes  or  stockings  on.  The  style  being 
permanent,  those  who  buy  costly  dresses  are  not  put  to  the  necessity 
of  having  them  altered  to  suit  the  fashion.  Sometimes  w^omen  who 
live  in  very  humble  homes  appear  in  very  rich  dress  ;  so  that  persons 
who  are  not  conversant  with  the  custom  of  inheritance  would  think 
strange  of  the  great  outward  display  by  some  who  are  very  poor.  It 
is  the  case,  for  the  most  part  those  rich  and  costly  dresses  worn  by 
poor  women  have  been  made  for  forty  or  fifty  years,  and  passed  to  the 
possession  of  several  different  families ;  or  some  individual,  who  first 
owned  it,  bequeathed  it  to  some  poor  relative  with  the  understanding 


14  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

it  was  to  be  kept  in  the  family  as  long  as  it  was  wearable.  By  this 
means  one  garment  may  continue  in  a  family  for  fifty  years,  for  they 
take  the  most  cautious  care  of  them,  only  wearing  them  on  special 
occasions.  The  women  of  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth  are  exceptions  to 
the  rule  as  to  the  general  style  of  dress ;  each  has  a  fashion  of  her 
own  ;  and  no  matter  where  they  are  seen,  persons  know  them  by  the 
style  of  their  dress.  One  very  noticeable  feature  of  the  female  attire 
is  the  way  they  dress  their  head.  If  we  may  be  allowed  to  judge  them 
by  what  their  dwellings  contain  and  what  their  heads  are  dressed  with, 
we  should  conclude  that  many  of  them  have  about  all  they  possess  on 
their  heads.  They  take  silver  coins  and  string  them,  as  we  do  beads, 
and  form  a  head-dress  so  arranged  as  to  come  down  to  their  temples ; 
many  contain  a  hundred  or  more  pieces.  The  coins  ,  generally  are 
keep-sakes,  given  them  by  friends  as  birthday  presents,  and  are 
regarded  as  sacred.  Therefore,  they  are  not  liable  to.be  stolen  from 
them.  Those  who  have  the  fortune  to  own  a  number  of  such  gifts, 
pride  them  aa  a  very  valuable  treasure,  and  would  almost  part  with 
their  life  sooner  than  with  one  of  them.  The  native  women  are  seldom 
seen  with  a  hat  on ;  hence,  when  they  appear  in  public,  their  head- 
dress can  be  seen  at  a  very  good  advantage.  These  ornaments  are  not 
seen  so  conspicuously  on  Mohammedan  women,  because  they  are  com- 
pelled to  wear  a  veil  so  as  to  cover  their  faces  from  the  sight  of  men. 
These  veils  are  very  ugly,  and  render  the  ladies  very  unpresentable  to 
those  whose  civilization  has  been  progressive.  The  men,  we  learn  from 
ancient  history,  wore  long  garments  of  different  colors,  just  as  the 
females  did  ;  the  white  and  purple  being  the  favorite  colors.  Any  one 
who  has  been  to  Palestine  will  conclude  very  readily  that  but  slight 
changes  have  been  made,  if  any,  in  the  mode  of  dressing.  The  men 
wear  now,  as  in  olden  times,  a  turban  on  the  head  instead  of  a  hat. 
Many  wear  a  red  cap  made  of  thick  cloth,  known  as  Turkish  caps.  It 
is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  people  going  through  the  country 
carrying  their  beds.  This  was  an  ordinary  custom  in  the  time  of  our 
Lord,  and  has  been  continued  through  the  ages.  Therefore,  it  was  not 
a  strange  thing  to  see  the  man  on  his  bed  at  the  pool ;  but  to  see  him 
restored  without  having  been  in  the  healing  stream  was  wonderful, 

FAEMING  IMPLEMENTS. 

It  will  also  be  observed  there  is  but  little  improvement  in  the  in- 
struments used  for  cultivating  the  ground.  The  same  style  of  plow, 
hoe  and  other  implements  used  in  ancient  times  prevail  now ;  and 
many  of  the  fields  under  cultivation  seem  to  be  anything  else  but  till- 


LIFE  IN    PALESTINE.  15 

able  land.  It  would  appear  to  those  who  are  not  acquainted  with 
produce-growing  in  Palestine  that  nothing  could  grow  in  many  of  the 
farming  districts  because  they  are  so  very  mountainous  and  stony. 
But  the  husbandmen  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  land  and 
know  just  where  and  when  to  sow  seed,  and  when  it  begins  to  grow  it 
looks  in  many  places  as  though  it  was  coming  up  out  of  the  very 
stones,  such  is  the  abundant  growth.  These  farmers  have  lived  so 
greatly  isolated  from  the  modern  people  and  so  far  behind  the  march 
of  civilization  they  would  not  know  how  to  use  the  farming  implements 
used  in  modern  times.  Their  2)lows  are  the  style  of  those  used  in  the 
earliest  times,  and  so  small  and  light  a  small  lad  could  carry  one  with- 
out being  burdened.  It  simply  consists  of  two  poles  which  cross  each 
other  at  the  ends,  near  the  ground  ;  one  of  them  is  fastened  to  the 
yoke  for  drawing,  the  other  is  used  by  the  driver  as  a  plow-share  at 
one  end  and  the  handle  at  the  other ;  no  plow  has  two  handles,  as  is 
the  case  in  modern  countries.  The  plowman  holds  the  handle  in  one 
hand  and  the  ox-goad  in  the  other,  which  consists  of  a  pole  seven  or 
eight  feet  long,  sharpened  to  a  point  at  one  end  for  the  purpose  of 
touching  up  the  oxen ;  the  other  end  is  broadened  to  clean  the  soil 
from  the  plow.  One  seeing  these  implements  would  naturally  re- 
member the  teachings  of  our  Lord,  "  No  man  having  put  his  hand  to 
the  plow  and  looking  back  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  ; "  and  of 
His  words  to  Saul  of  Tarsus,  "  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the 
pricks."  It  was  with  such  an  instrument  Shamgai*,  the  son  of  Anath, 
slew  six  hundred  Philistines  and  won  a  triumphant  victory  for  Israel. 
When  the  oxen  are  disposed  to  be  unruly  the  driver  sticks  the  sharp 
point  of  the  goad  into  his  flank,  or  should  he  kick  he  holds  it  so  as  to 
stick  him.  It  is  usual  for  several  worls  men  to  be  in  the  same  field,  or 
if  going  to  either  of  the  large  cities  with  produce  they  go  in  small 
companies. 

ARMED  MERCHANTS  AND  SHEPHERDS. 

Sometimes  a  dozen  or  more  shepherds  are  seen  high  up  in  the 
mountain  slope  watching  their  flocks,  a  number  of  husbandmen  in  one 
field  plowing,  or  twenty  or  thirty  merchants  with  camels  and  donkeys 
traveling  up  to  Jerusalem  or  down  to  Damascus,  or  to  some  of  the 
other  cities  with  merchandise.  Each  man  has  either  a  sword  or  gun, 
a  large  Damascus  knife,  or  some  other  deadly  instrument  of  defence. 
It  is  a  strange  sight  to  those  unaccustomed  to  such  sights  to  meet  those 
half  wild  men  out  in  the  lonely  country  with  these  deadly  weapons 
exposed  to  view.     Naturally  the  question  is  asked.  Why  do  these  men 


16  THE  LAND   OF   PROMISE. 

carry  arms  everywhere  they  go  ?  The  long  guns  are  so  arranged  over 
their  shoulders  with  a  strap  which  can  be  adjusted  in  a  moment.  If 
they  have  pistols  or  daggers  they  are  placed  in  a  sash  around  them. 

LONG-STANDING  FEUDS. 

There  are  many  reasons  given  as  a  cause  for  their  having  them. 
It  is  said  they  take  them  for  self-protection  both  against  wild  beasts 
and  enemies,  who  may  be  seeking  to  rob  them  ;  then  it  is  often  the  case 
that  many  have  had  quarrels  with  some  one  that  have  not  been  settled, 
or  a  family  dispute  that  has  been  standing  for  two  or  three  hundred 
years,  that  has  been  handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another, 
which  is  held  against  those  who  live  now,  just  as  strongly  as  if  they 
had  been  the  authors  of  the  offence ;  and  will  be  continued  until  some 
one  of  the  descendants  is  revenged.  So  it  can  be  seen  the  avenger  of 
blood  is  still  after  them,  and,  therefore,  they  carry  weapons  to  defend 
themselves  in  case  of  an  attack.  Sometimes  a  very  small  offence  costs 
many  lives.  For  if  one  is  avenged  the  family  and  relatives  of  the  one 
punished  will  seek  revenge  from  the  avenger,  or  some  of  his  people, 
and  will  never  be  satisfied  until  some  of  his  family  share  the  fate  of 
death  by  the  survivors,  though  it  may  be  a  hundred  years  to  come. 
Sometimes  whole  villages  are  thrown  into  strife  and  lasting  enmity 
about  something  that  occurred  in  a  family ;  vengeance  is  sought,  and 
year  after  year  the  inhabitants  of  each  of  the  villages  go  from  day  to 
day  armed  in  case  of  an  attack.  I  was  informed  that  it  has  been 
known  that  several  members  of  a  long  line  of  relatives  have  been 
slain  because  of  an  outbreak  that  occurred  three  or  four  centuries 
past.  If  one  man  was  killed,  his  relatives  felt  bound  to  kill  some  of 
the  relatives  of  the  man  who  killed  him  in  return ;  and  so  the  matter 
of  outrage  goes  down  from  one  generation  to  another.  Just  as  small  a 
thing  as  the  capture  of  a  stray  goat  has  caused  tumults  and  led  whole 
neighborhoods  into  trouble  and  bloodshed. 

LANDMARKS  RESPECTED. 

It  is  only  those  fields  and  orchards  near  the  larger  towns  and  cities 
that  are  fenced  in  either  with  stones  or  cactus  fences ;  but  the  fields  in 
which  grain  is  sown  are  generally  fenceless.  At  times  only  a  heajj  of 
stones  mark  the  boundary  of  the  farmer's  jurisdiction.  This  custom 
has  existed  from  the  early  times,  when  the  people,  if  they  had  a  dispo- 
sition, could  extend  their  line  by  moving  the  stones.  Yet  they  dare 
not  do  so  lest  they  bring  upon  themselves  the  curse  pronounced  upon 
the  man  who  moves  his  neighbor's  landmark. 


LIFE  IN   PALESTINE.  J  7 

HISTORICAL  ASSOCIATIONS. 

There  seems  to  be  no  difficulty  about  one  farmer  trespassing  upon 
another ;  but  the  main  evil  is  the  liberty  people  take  in  riding  over  the 
fields  after  the  seed  has  been  sown ;  this  is  not  done  through  ill-will, 
but  because  of  a  long-standing  custom  coming  down  through  hundreds 
of  ages.  AVhen  that  pattern  woman,  Ruth,  Avent  out  to  glean  after  the 
reapers  she  was  not  put  to  the  embarrassment  of  climbing  over  fences 
and  crossing  boundary  ditches,  but  simply  passed  from  one  stone  limit 
to  another,  and  her  happiness  was  to  light  on  a  part  of  the  field  belonging 
to  Boaz.  These  instances  are  but  an  introduction  to  the  many  cus- 
toms daily  met  with,  which  were  curi'ent  in  olden  times.  If  the 
stranger  should  pass  some  of  the  vineyards  at  the  season  for  trimming 
the  vines  he  will  see  the  dresser  cutting  off'  the  dead  branches  and  cast- 
ing them  in  the  fire  to  be  burned.  One  is  reminded  of  the  teachings 
of  Jesus:  "I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches,  and  my  father  is  the 
husbandman  ;  every  branch  in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit  he  taketh 
away."  Many  of  the  old  customs  of  the  early  Patriarchs  are  still  fol- 
lowed by  some  classes  of  the  people. 

FIEST  SETTLERS. 

We  know  those  of  the  earlier  times  had  no  fixed  home,  but  dwelt 
in  tents,  as  it  was  suitable  to  their  occupation  as  keepers  of  flocks  or 
shepherds.  This  is  a  common  custom  with  hundreds  and  perhaps  thou- 
sands of  people  in  various  parts  of  the  country  to-day.  It  is  an  ordi- 
nary thing  to  see  a  tent  village  settled  near  a  good  pasture,  convenient 
to  a  spring  or  well.  It  is  highly  probable  some  of  these  nomads  have 
never  lived  in  a  house  in  their  lives.  The  most  of  their  tents  are  so 
small  one  would  be  compelled  to  crawl  into  them. 

HOW  HOMES  ARE  BUILT. 

When  permanent  homes  began  to  be  builded  the  people  settled  in 
small  communities.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  custom  of  the  vari- 
ous Canaanitish  tribes  long  before  the  Hebrews  came  in  possession  of 
the  land.  After  they  began  to  come  in  great  numbers  they  founded 
towns  and  cities  along  the  sea  border  and  other  favorable  localities, 
even  from  Jericho  to  Sidon.  The  husbandmen  usually  live  miles  away 
from  the  land  they  cultivate.  They  believe  it  much  safer  and  agreea- 
ble to  live  in  small  communities  than  to  be  dispersed  here  and  there  on 
their  lonely  farms,  as  they  are  not  suited  for  permanent  homes.  They 
are  prepared  also  to  protect  themselves  against  the  violence  of  the  law- 
2 


18  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

less,  whom  they  feared  would  rob  them  even  of  their  existence,  were 
they  to  live  on  separate  farms  miles  apart,  as  is  common  in  other 
countries.  The  houses  in  the  interior  are  generally  made  of  hard  clay 
or  mud,  except  in  such  places  as  Bethel  or  Samaria,  where  the  people 
have  gathered  material  for  the  erection  of  their  little  homes  from  the 
ruins  of  the  original  cities.  This  does  not  refer  to  the  large  inland 
towns,  such  as  Hebron,  Bethlehem,  Shechem,  and  others  that  have 
always  been  business  thoroughfares.  These  small  huts  are  usually 
very  low,  having  but  one  apartment,  and  without  windows  or  chim- 
ney, and  only  a  very  low  doorway. 

VAEIETY  OF  CLIMATE. 

It  is  written  that  no  country  in  the  world  of  the  same  extent  of  ter- 
ritory has  a  greater  variety  of  climate  than  Palestine  and  Syria,  espe- 
cially the  latter.  The  lofty  summit  and  high  places  along  the  Lebanon 
range  are  very  cool  and  balmy  in  the  hottest  days  of  summer,  while  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea  are  so  very 
warm,  one  accustomed  to  a  milder  climate  would  be  at  once  over- 
powered. Then  during  the  winter,  when  the  snow  is  impassable  on  the 
higher  portions  of  Lebanon,  the  valley  about  it  is  fresh  and  green. 
January  and  February  are  the  coldest  months  during  the  season,  the 
snows  being  most  frequent  and  deepest. 

THE  PEOPLE  OF  LEBANON— THEIE  APPEARANCE  AND 
MANNERS. 

The  inhabitants  of  Lebanon  are  robust  and  generally  healthy, 
presenting  a  much  nobler  appearance  than  the  dwarfs  of  the  low-lands. 
The  people  throughout  the  country  are  polite  to  strangers,  but  caution 
is  given  by  those  who  know  them  best  not  to  receive  their  salutations 
as  the  true  intent  of  their  heart ;  for  they  will  many  times  give  a  bow 
of  friendship  when  their  purpose  is  far  from  it.  There  is  said  to  be  a 
meaning  in  every  gesture.  When  they  lay  their  right  hand  upon 
their  forehead,  lips  and  breast  in  succession  they  indicate  the  follow- 
ing :  "  In  thought,  word  and  deed  I  am  your  servant ;  "  and  when  they 
kiss  one  hand  it  is  a  representation  of  a  greater  humility.  But  these 
outward  demonstrations  of  civility  and  friendship  are  only  formal  and 
empty.  The  whole  inhabitants  are  divided  into  religious  sects.  It  is 
that  which  has  made  the  greatest  distinction  ;  every  other  preference  is 
of  a  minor  character. 


LIFE  IN   PALESTINE.  19 

THEIR  RELIGIOUS  RELATIONS. 

The  religious  sects  are  by  no  means  friendly  towards  each  other,  and 
it  occurs  that  they  sometimes  become  hostile.  The  Mohammedans  are 
the  most  powerful,  and  take  advantage  of  the  minor  sects  whenever  an 
opportunity  is  presented.  They  are  taught  to  look  with  the  most  cruel 
contempt  upon  all  others  whose  religion  differs  from  theirs,  and  they 
know  well  how  to  practically  observe  their  instructions.  While  the 
Mohammedans  are  divided  into  several  sects,  they  are  united  on  the 
question  of  opposing  every  other  that  is  not  inclined  to  their  faith. 
There  are  so  many  excellent  books  written  on  the  various  sects,  we 
deem  it  unnecessary  to  add  anything  in  this  volume. 


PAET   III. 
OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES, 

FROM     THEIR     ENTRANCE    INTO     THE     LAND     OF    PROMISE     TO     THEIR 

DISPERSION. 

General  Character  of  Israelites — Their  Criminal  Waywardness — Allotments  of 
Twelve  Tribes — Their  Religious  and  Political  Revolutions — Situation  of 
Tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  Manasseh — Deborah's  Criticism — Situation  of 
Tribes  of  Judah,  Ephraim,  Simeon,  Benjamin,  and  Dan — Situation  of  Tribes 
of  Issachar,  Asher,  Zebnlun,  and  Naphtali— Tribe  of  Levi — ^Its  Official  Rela- 
tions to  the  Others — Their  Cherished  Treasure — The  Tabernacle  Removed 
from  Gilgal  to  Shiloh — Great  Feast  Reunions — Sliiloh,  a  Religious  Court  of 
Priests  and  Levites — Office  of  Levites — Office  of  Priests — Israel's  Wayward 
Tendency  the  Signal  of  Their  Decline — Israel  given  to  Idolatry — Israel's 
Oppression  a  Divine  Rebuke — Their  Inter-Marriage  with  the  Canaanites — 
Official  Judges  who  Delivered  Israel — Ehud  of  Benjamin,  His  Cunning 
Scheme — Ehud's  Stratagem,  His  Escape — Philistines'  Hostilities — Shamgar 
a  Deliverer  of  Israel — Shamgar  Judge  of  Israel — Trouble  out  North — Jabin, 
King  of  Hazor — Deborah  the  Prophetess— Engagement  between  Barak  and 
Sisera— Triumph  of  Israel — Jael,  Sisera's  Destroyer — Israelites  afflicted  by 
Moabites — Gideon  and  His  Little  Army — Position  of  the  jMidianites'  Camp- 
Gideon's  Attack — Death  of  Gideon— Invasion  of  Gilead  by  the  Ammonites — 
Jephthah,  the  Victor^ — His  Rash  Vow — Trouble  with  the  Philistines  — Sam- 
son, the  iNlighty  Hero — Samuel,  the  last  Judge — His  Counsel  to  Israel — 
Israel's  Anxiety  for  a  King — -Conduct  of  Joel  and  Abijah — Samuel  Anoints 
Saul — The  Turning  Point  in  the  Affiiirs  of  the  Government — Samuel's  last 
Advice  to  Israel — Saul  as  King — David  Chosen  to  Succeed  Saul — Opposition 
to  David — Its  Final  Result — Transfer  of  the  Kingdom — David  King  of 
Israel — Solomon  on  the  Throne  Revolt  of  Ten  Tribes — Worshiping  the 
Calves — Southern  Kingdom — Prophets  in  Israel — Israelites  Carried  into 
Captivity — Assyrians  Inhabiting  Their  Land — Samaritans  Rejected — The 
Jews  Return  from  Captivity — Discord  between  Jews  and  Samaritans — Ser- 
vices on  Mount  Gerizim — Nehemiah  Rebuilding  the  Walls  of  Jerusalem — 
Ancient  Samaritans — Visit  to  Samaritan  Temple — Their  Religious  Devo- 
tions— The  People,  Their  General  Beaiing — Tiibts  under  Rehoboam  and 
Jeroboam — Northern  and  Southern  Districts — Silent  Period — Condition  of 
Jews  when  our  Lord  came  on  Earth — Jews  Subject  to  Persia — Headquarters 
of  Persian  Monarch — A  Strange  Conquest — Rule  of  Ptolemies — Sanctuary 
Robbed — The  Maccabees'  Rule. 

THE   GENERAL    CHARACTER  OF  ISRAELITES. 

BEFORE  entering  into  a  detailed  account  of  the  most  prominent 
places  that  largely  embrace  the  history  of  Palestine,  it  is  of  import- 
ance to  give  an  outline  survey  of  the  general  character  of  the  Israel- 
ites, after   entering  upon   their   promised   possessions,  as  a   national 
20 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES.  21 

organization.  When  Moses,  the  celebrated  commander  and  law-giver 
of  the  Hebrews,  died,  Joshua,  the  brave  and  heroic  leader,  succeeded 
him,  and  triumphantly  led  frhe  people  into  the  "  Land  of  Promise  ;  " 
where  they  would  have  been,  even  to-day,  one  of  the  most  progressive, 
prosperous,  and  wealthy  nations  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  if  they  had 
allowed  the  Lord  to  continue  with  them.  But  their  superstitions, 
pride,  idolatry,  infidelity,  and  international  strifes  led  them  from  the 
God  of  their  fathers  into  grave  offences  of  shame  and  dissolution, 
which  broke  down  their  government.  They  seemed  not  to  know  how 
to  appreciate  their  independence,  until  they  had  been  put  under  the 
sceptre  of  a  foreign  power.  The  Hebrews  were  the  most  unsettled  and 
contentious  people  in  the  world,  as  a  nation.  If  we  carefully  consider 
their  history  as  detailed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  many  other  books 
written  by  brilliant  and  worthy  authors,  who  have  exhausted  much 
time  and  energy  in  collecting  facts  touching  the  inner  life  of  this 
people,  it  will  be  seen  they  were  constantly  contending  against  them- 
selves ;  so  that  from  the  time  of  Joshua  to  that  of  our  Lord,  the 
religious  and  political  revolutions  were  so  tremendous  that  the  whole 
nation  had  passed  through  an  unenviable  transition.  They  had  lost 
all  the  bearing  of  the  happy  and  prosperous  people  who  went  forth 
conquering  throughout  the  land  under  the  banner  of  the  God  of  Hosts. 
When  Jesus  came  among  them.  He  found  the  whole  nation  full  of  cor- 
ruption, superstition,  and  intensely  gross  darkness.  This  people,  whose 
mighty  arm  of  conquest  had  subdued  nations  and  brought  proud  kings 
under  the  power  of  its  sceptre,  and  struck  all  with  great  alarm  who 
knew  of  their  continued  success,  were  themselves  subject  to  the  gall- 
ing yoke  of  Roman  domination.  Their  fame  for  conquest  had  vanished, 
and  their  country  had  been  the  hunting-ground  for  the  nations  round 
about  them. 

When  the  tribes  had  settled  in  the  several  districts  allotted  them 
they  could  have  gone  from  one  state  of  pleasing  progress  to  another, 
for  the  condition  and  adaptations  of  each  tribe  were  considered  long 
before  the  allotment  was  made.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  God, 
Himself,  revealed  to  Jacob  the  territory  each  of  the  tribes  should 
occupy.  The  aged  patriarch,  when  dying,  indicated  what  should  be 
the  possessions  of  each  of  his  sons,  although  they  had  not  been  in 
Egypt  more  than  about  seventeen  years.  A  passing  notice  of  the  dis- 
tricts, as  allotted  to  the  tribes,  will  show  how  well  they  were  adapted 
to  the  capacity  of  each.  Reuben  and  Gad  were  divided  from  the  others 
by  the  river  Jordan.  This  district  Avas  given  them  by  their  own  choice. 
It  may  seem  strange  that  these  two  tribes  and  half  of  that  of  jNIanasseh 


22  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

would  have  contented  themselves  to  settle  down  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Jordan,  and  beyond  the  bounds  of  Canaan  proper,  and  become  almost 
a  distinct  people,  if  it  had  not  been  so  ordained  by  the  Lord.  The 
people  living  on  the  borderland  were  vicious,  and  entertained  no 
friendly  feelings  for  them  ;  yet  they  were  just  as  content  to  remain 
there  as  though  the  whole  army  had  reached  their  destination.  These 
tribes  were  keepers  of  flocks,  and  the  country  assigned  them  was  splen- 
didly adapted  to  their  calling.  It  contained  good  pastures  and  a  good 
supply  of  water  and  other  conveniences  necessary  to  properly  care  for 
their  flocks.  There  was  doubtless  a  stronger  attachment  between  these 
two  tribes  than  with  the  others,  because  they  were  usually  camped 
together  during  their  forty  years'  wanderings  in  the  wilderness.  They, 
under  these  circumstances,  must  have  known  each  other  better,  and 
could  dwell  in  peace. 

One  half  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  having  remained  with  them, 
made  in  all  two  tribes  and  a  half  of  the  twelve  who  did  not  live  in 
Palestine.  They  located  themselves,  having  Reuben  on  the  south.  Gad 
in  the  center,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  on  the  north.  These 
people  having  been  separated  from  their  brethren,  and  living  in  almost 
absolute  isolation,  constantly  burdened  with  the  cares  of  pastoral  life, 
lost  much  of  their  primitive  devotion  for  their  brethren  on  the  west  of 
the  Jordan,  and  took  no  particular  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
They  were  not  conspicuous  in  the  many  wars  fought  by  their  brethren, 
nor  did  they  seem  to  interest  themselves  as  to  the  general  prosperity  of 
the  other  tribes.  They  were  more  stimulated  with  an  ambition  for 
personal  gains  than  by  patriotism.  This  is  clear  from  their  conduct 
towards  the  other  tribes  when  they  were  wanted  up  north  to  assist  in  a 
conflict  with  the  Canaanites.  They  stubbornly  refused  to  go  up  to 
their  help.  Their  attitude  toward  their  fellows  on  the  west  caused 
Deborah,  the  Prophetess,  to  criticise  them  keenly  in  song  after  the 
victory  had  been  Avon.  "  By  the  water-courses  of  Reuben  there  were 
great  searchings  of  heart ;  why  sittest  thou  among  the  sheep-folds  to 
hear  pipings  of  the  flock  ?"  Gilead  abode  beyond  the  Jordan.  It  is 
evident  they  were  content  with  their  own  situation,  and  had  no  dispo- 
sition to  help  those  beyond  the  Jordan.  Judah  and  Ephraim  occupied 
the  best  portion  of  the  southern  and  middle  districts ;  around  them 
clustered  the  most  important  history  of  the  nation.  Hebron,  the  head- 
quarters of  their  historic  development,  was  embraced  in  the  allotment 
of  Judah,  who  afterwards  shared  a  part  of  their  possessions  to  Simeon 
around  Beersheba  on  the  southwest.  Ephraim  had  for  his  possession 
the  territory  that  embraces  Shechem  on  the  north.     The  portions  of 


OUTLINE  HISTOEY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES.  23 

Benjamin  and  Dan  were  situated  between  Judah  and  Ephraim  ;  the 
former  occupied  that  portion  of  the  country  extending  from  the  Jor- 
dan valley  on  the  east,  and  southeast,  northward  to  Ephraim,  embrac- 
ing Jericho,  Gibeon  and  Bethel.  Dan's  portion  extended  northward 
from  the  two  Beth-harans  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  taking  in  a  por- 
tion of  the  valley  of  Ajalon ;  also  embracing  Ramleh  and  Lydda, 
the  Sharon,  plain  and  Joppa,  and  several  other  places  important  in 
Bible  history.  The  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  living  west  of  the  Jordan, 
was  allotted  a  small  district  on  the  north  of  Ephraim,  in  connection 
with  a  number  of  towns  in  the  districts  of  the  adjoining  tribes.  The 
whole  of  the  district  of  Galilee  was  apportioned  to  the  remaining  four 
tribes,  Issachar,  Asher,  Zebulun  and  Naphtali.  All  the  tribes  received 
a  special  allotment,  except  the  tribe  of  Levi,  which  was  priestly,  and 
was  therefore  dispersed  amongst  all  the  others  in  the  forty-eight  cities 
given  them.  This  latter  tribe  was  scattered  throughout  the  nation  to 
advise  and  check  them  from  the  commission  of  the  various  evils  to 
which  they  were  so  greatly  inclined  It  is  well  known  the  Israelities 
had  a  most  preciously  cherished  treasure,  which  they  cautiously  and 
sacredly  guarded,  and  were  careful  as  to  its  location,  as  it  was  highly 
necessary  a  proper  and  safe  place  should  be  selected  for  its  safe  keep- 
ing. We  refer  to  the  Tabernacle.  Up  to  this  time  and  onward  for  a 
long  period  the  new  inhabitants  of  the  country  had  not  been  formed 
into  a  national  brotherhood  strictly ;  for  as  yet  they  were  divided  into 
tribes,  each  having  a  separate  jurisdiction  in  the  management  of  their 
political  aflairs,  but  sustaining  a  relation  to  each  other  peculiar  to  a 
nation.  It  may  be  said  they  were  a  confederation  of  distinctly  organ- 
ized settlements  or  communities.  They  had  no  federal  capital  and  no 
human  king.  Under  such  circumstances  it  would  seem  that  the  Tab- 
ernacle would  be  a  bone  of  contention  among  the  tribes,  each  endeav- 
oring to  hold  it  within  the  confines  of  their  own  dominion.  But  such 
was  not  the  case,  for  all  the  people  were  specially  devoted  to  their 
moveable  sanctuary  and  sacredly  guarded  its  safety.  There  was  a  con- 
ference held  by  the  most  prominent  of  the  jieople,  and  it  was  found 
important  to  remove  it  to  some  place  convenient  as  possible  to  the 
people  at  large.  Shiloh  was,  in  their  opinion,  the  most  suitable  place, 
and  to  it  the  sacred  tent  was  taken.  This  they  did  before  the  tribes 
dispersed  to  their  several  allotments.  The  Tabernacle  had  remained 
at  Gilgal  from  the  time  it  was  placed  there,  after  the  people  crossed 
the  Jordan.  Any  one  having  the  map  of  Palestine  can  see  the  selec- 
tion of  Shiloh  was  wise,  it  being  more  central  and  convenient  than 
any  other,  and  close  to  the  great  highway  leading  through  the  main 


24  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

cities  and  towns  in  the  land.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  reason 
for  making  a  selection  of  it  for  the  permanent  resting-place  of  their 
sacred  treasure.  There  were  three  festivals  celebrated  yearly,  which 
the  able-bodied  men  were  requested  to  attend.  It  can  be  seen,  there- 
fore, it  was  highly  important  the  location  of  the  sanctuary  should  be 
conveniently  situated.  Shiloh  is  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim,  not  far 
from  the  main  thoroughfare  leading  to  Damascus  and  Egypt,  Jericho 
and  Joppa,  and  about  half  way  between  Shechem  and  Bethel.  The 
Tabernacle  remained  there  the  religious  headquarters  of  the  Israelites 
moi'e  than  three  hundred  years.  .  But  during  the  time  of  Eli  it  began 
to  lose  much  of  its  former  prestige,  especially  after  the  Philistines  cap- 
tured the  Ark  of  the  Covenant.  The  Tabernacle  was  a  binding  instru- 
ment ;  it  kept  the  people  together  in  religious  sentiment,  in  sympathy, 
and  in  their  fraternal  relations,  so  that  on  meeting  at  their  triennial 
religious  services  at  Shiloh  they  most  friendly  and  happily  greeted 
each  other,  and  devotedly  renewed  their  ties  of  brotherhood. 

When  a  people  can  meet  upon  a  common  level  to  pay  their  devo- 
tions to  the  Most  High  God,  a  union  of  friendship  is  stimulated  that 
grows  more  and  more  from  day  to-day,  until  it  becomes  so  strong  it 
will  be  hard  to  break  its  influence.  Such  was  the  case  with  the  Israel- 
ites. They  were  without  national  laws  at  that  time  to  bind  them  a.s 
such,  nor  had  they  a  human  sovereign  to  rule  over  them,  nor  a  centre 
from  which  the  word  of  command  was  issued.  But  Shiloh  served  as  a 
kind  of  religious  court  of  Levites  and  priests ;  a  capital  to  which  the 
multitudes  were  drawn  three  times  a  year,  and  renewed  their  vows  to 
the  God  of  their  fathers ;  recognizing  Him  as  their  supreme  ruler  and 
law-giver.  Shiloh  also  served  as  a  gathering  place,  where  many  things 
would  be  settled  that  caused  unjileasantness  among  the  people,  growing 
out  of  local  disputes,  renewed  former  friendly  relations,  and  prohibited 
the  encroachments  and  ill-feelings,  which  the  dividing  of  themselves 
into  special  territories  would  without  doubt  introduce  and  cherish. 
The  Levites  were  instrumental  in  doing  much  towards  keeping  the 
people  together  fraternally.  These  officials  were  scattered  through  all 
the  tribes,  constantly  teaching  the  people  their  whole  duty  towards  each 
other,  so  that  the  tribes  might  be  bound  together  in  the  strongest  ties 
of  fraternal  brotherhood,  promoting  virtue  and  true  piety.  They  were 
familiar  with  the  laws  and  exercised  the  office  of  under-judges  in  the 
ordinary  courts  ;  they  took  charge  of  the  Tabernacle  and  sacred  vessels. 
The  priests,  who  were  the  higher  officials,  were  indispensable  factors  in 
aiding  the  people  in  the  afl^airs  of  state  as  well  as  in  their  religious 
duties.    They  did  much  toward  keeping  the  tribes  together  and  in 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE   ISRAELITES.  25 

putting  down  many  tendencies  of  bitter  schisms  that  were  brewing  on 
account  of  jealousy.  They  were  the  chief  spiritual  directors  of  the 
tribes,  and  at  times  were  called  upon  to  be  the  judges  of  civil  matters. 
They  were  God's  messengers.  He  would  make  known  His  will  to 
them,  and  they  would  teach  the  same  to  the  people. 

The  unsatisfied  appetite  of  the  Israelites,  stimulated  by  a  passionate 
desire  for  a  king  of  their  own  selection,  began  to  disclose  itself  more 
decidedly  at  length,  and  continued  to  arouse  the  people  until  their 
ambition  was  gratified.  It  is  noteworthy  that  during  the  whole  period 
following  Joshua,  one  trouble  after  another  haunted  the  Israelites  for 
many  years:  enmity,  contention,  murder  and  many  other  severe  aflflic- 
tions  followed,  because  of  repeated  efforts  of  hostile  nations  around  to 
destroy  them.  That  the  distressed  Hebrews  might  have  proper  leaders 
during  their  great  struggles,  God  appointed  judges  to  protect  and 
defend  them  at  times  of  great  distress  and  excitement.  Their  authority 
was  bordering  on  kingly  prerogatives  ;  it  extended  to  peace  and  war, 
or  they  had  power  to  declare  war  and  make  peace  as  the  case  seemed 
to  them  expedient.  They  also  had  authority  as  chief  magistrates  to 
decide  all  cases  of  law  coming  under  their  notice,  from  which  there  was 
no  appeal.  The  judges  were  not  law-makers,  but  its  executives.  Soon 
after  the  death  of  Joshua  Israel  began  to  depart  from  God,  and  turn 
their  minds  towards  idolatry,  for  which  they  were  often  rebuked  ;  this 
would  serve  as  a  check  for  a  time,  but  the  same  spirit  would  again 
incline  them  to  seek  the  favor  of  other  gods.  This  disposition  took 
firm  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  so  controlled  them  that 
they  yielded  to  its  allurements  by  degrees,  until  at  length  the  whole 
nation  had  to  some  extent  devoted  itself  to  idolatrous  worship,  and 
embraced  it  just  as  freely  and  fondly  as  did  the  heathen  nations  about 
them.  For  these  glaring  transgressions  the  Lord  administered  to  them 
a  stern  rebuke,  and  allowed  them  to  be  sorely  grieved  by  the  people  of 
Mesopotamia,  the  Moabitcs,  the  Canaanites,  the  Midianites,  the  Am- 
monites and  Philistines.  These  several  states  at  different  periods  greatly 
oppressed  Israel  and  caused  them  to  mourn  on  account  of  their  trans- 
gressions. The  book  of  Judges  furnishes  many  narratives  of  the  oppres- 
sions the  people  suffered  as  a  stern  rebuke  from  the  Almighty  for  their 
persistence  in  rebelling  against  Him.  Inter-marriage  with  the  Canaan- 
ites was  one  of  the  influences  that  caused  Israel  to  become  entangled 
with  heathen  worship ;  and  God  permitted  them  to  experience  the 
bitter  results  of  their  folly,  by  withdrawing  His  guarding  hand  from 
them  for  a  time,  that  they  might  see  their  extreme  dependence  upon 
Him  and  return  to  the  true  worship.     The  king  of  Mesopotamia  over- 


26  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

powered  them  and  held  them  under  his  iron  sceptre  for  eight  years, 
during  which  time  Israel  suffered  greatly. 

'•  The  children  of  Israel  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord  and  forgot  the  Lord  their  God,  and  served  the  gods  Baalim  and 
Ashtaroth.  Therefore,  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  ai;ainst 
Israel,  and  he  sold  them  into  the  hand  of  Cushan-rishathaim."  The 
lamentable  experience  of  the  Israelites  under  this  deep  oppression 
caused  them  to  turn  their  attention  to  God,  whom  they  had  forsaken, 
and  in  tears  of  agony  they  appealed  to  Him  for  deliverance.  The 
Lord  heard  them  and  gave  them  helpers.  Othniel,  son  of  Kenaz,  rose 
up  in  the  strength  of  God  and  delivered  them  from  the  iron  arm  of 
the  king  of  Mesopotamia.  Othniel  was  the  first  of  the  judges  of  Israel, 
and  during  the  forty  years  he  was  in  the  official  position  the  land 
enjoyed  great  peace.  The  next  king  who  rose  up  against  Israel  was 
Eglon  of  ]Moab,  who  came  into  the  country  by  the  plain  of  Jericho  in 
the  border  of  Benjamin ;  he  smote  Israel  and  caused  them  to  serve 
him  eighteen  years,  and  so  bitter  were  their  afflictions,  they  were  again 
moved  to  seek  refuge  under  the  all-powerful  hand  of  the  Lord.  He 
heard  their  cries  and  raised  up  Ehud  of  Benjamin  to  deliver  them. 
This  mighty  man  gathered  the  hosts  of  valiant  men  and  came  down 
with  them  from  the  heights  of  Ephraim  and  attacked  the  Moabites  in 
their  rear,  and  greatly  discomfited  them.  There  was  great  stratagem 
devised  in  preparing  for  this  battle.  Ehud  was  sent  by  the  childi-en  of 
Israel  to  take  a  present,  perhaps  in  connection  with  their  taxes,  to  the 
king  of  Moab.  Before  starting  he  made  a  double-edged  dagger,  about 
as  long  as  his  arm,  and  hid  it  under  his  garment  on  his  right  side.  It 
may  be  that  he  placed  it  there  because  he  was  left-handed.  This 
seems  the  more  plausible  to  me  because  he  was  a  Benjamite,  and  to  be 
left-handed  was  not  unusual  with  them.  But  it  is  the  opinion  of  some 
authors  the  dagger  was  placed  on  his  right  side  to  escape  observation. 
I  think,  however,  the  opinion  we  have  ventured  is  the  correct  one  ;  for 
it  is  well  known  the  men  of  Benjamin  used  to  carry  tlieir  sling-bag  on 
their  right  side  so  as  to  get  the  stone  in  the  hand  from  which  they 
would  throw  it.  When  Ehud  came  to  the  palace  with  the  present  he 
sent  those  away  who  went  with  him,  then  he  went  back  and  said  to  the 
king,  "  I  have  a  secret  errand  for  thee,  O  king ; "  he  was  of  the 
opinion  an  important  message  was  to  be  delivered.  He  therefore 
commanded  all  to  be  silent,  and  sent  his  state  servants  away.  Eglon 
was  in  his  beautiful  room  that  had  been  arranged  for  his  special  com- 
fort, known  as  his  summer  cooling-room.  When  all  was  quiet  and 
Eglon  and  Ehud  were  left  to  themselves,  the  Benjamite  advanced  to 


OUTLINE  HISTOEY  OF  THE   ISRAELITES.  27 

the  king  and  said  to  him,  "  I  have  a  message  from  God  to  thee."  The 
king,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  his  day,  rose  to  his  feet  to 
receive  it.  Just  then  Ehud  pierced  him  deeply  with  his  double-edged 
dagger,  and  the  king  fell  heavily  to  the  floor  and  died,  without  the 
knowledge  of  his  chief  oflicials  or  any  one  else.  Ehud  then  closed  and 
locked  the  doors  and  took  the  keys,  quietly  passed  the  guards,  and 
finally  made  his  escape.  After  a  while  the  servants  of  the  king  re- 
turned to  attend  to  him.  Finding  the  doors  locked,  they  supposed  he 
wa^s  sleeping  and  said,  "  He  covereth  his  feet."  They  returned  to  their 
quarters  and  remained  an  unusually  long  time  without  any  signs  of 
the  king's  presence.  Becoming  alarmed  and  suspicioning  something 
was  wrong  with  him,  they  began  to  look  for  a  key  to  unlock  the  door 
and  enter  unbiddingly  into  his  chamber ;  on  entering  they  saw,  to  their 
great  amazement  and  grief,  their  king  lying  dead  on  the  earth.  But 
Ehud  was  gone  ;  and  having  escaped  safely  to  his  people,  he  blew  the 
trumpet  on  Mount  Ephraim.  In  response  to  the  trumpet  call  they 
came  to  him.  He  said  to  them,  "  Follow  after  me,  for  the  Lord  hath 
delivered  your  enemies,  the  Moabites,  into  your  hands."  There  were 
about  ten  thousand  of  the  picked  men  of  Moab,  and  not  one  of  the 
men  who  oppressed  Israel  escaped  the  fury  of  the  men  of  Ehud 

PHILISTINES  ROUTED. 

After  this  successful  engagement  and  triumphant  victory,  Israel 
enjoyed  peace  for  about  eighty  years.  The  Philistines  were  very  per- 
plexing to  the  children  of  Israel  and  did  them  much  harm.  These 
enemies  Avould  watch  favorable  opportunities  to  intimidate  the  husband- 
men just  about  the  time  their  crops  were  ready  to  harvest.  The 
Philistines  would  suddenly  come  down  upon  them  and  drive  them  from 
their  fields  in  which  they  had  labored  so  long  and  made  great  sacri- 
fices to  cultivate.  It  often  occurred  ;  they  would  be  compelled  to  leave 
everything  behind  and  flee  for  refuge  among  the  rocks  and  caves.  It 
is  stated  in  Judges,  "  that  in  the  days  of  Shamgar  the  highways  were 
unoccupied."  Such  was  the  fear  the  people  entertained  of  the  Philis- 
tine robbers,  they  had  abandoned  the  highways  and  made  their 
journeys  through  the  by-ways  for  safety.  It  occurred  one  day  while 
Shamgar,  the  son  of  Anath,  was  working  in  the  field  with  his  com- 
panions, a  company  of  Philistines  came  down  with  great  fury  upon 
them.  The  heroic  Shamgar  took  up  his  ox-goad,  an  instrument  used  to 
urge  the  oxen  and  also  to  clean  the  plow,  and  single-handed  slew  six 
hundred  of  the  intruders.  They  became  wild  with  amazement  and  fled 
with  great  haste  from  the  strong  arms  of  the  hero.     Shamgar  and 


28  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

those  with  him  pursued  the  refugees  and  drove  them  to  the  confines  of 

their  own  territory.     This  wonderfully  strange  defense  delivered  Israel 

from  the  terror  of  the  Philistines,  and  they  went  once  more  to  their 

work  without  fear  and  traveled  the  highways  in  peace.     Shamgar, 

according  to  the  most  reliable  sources,  was  the  third  judge  of  Israel 

after  Ehud.     His  services  to  Israel  were  of  great  benefit  both  as  judge 

and  warrior 

TROUBLE  OUT  NORTH. 

The  tribes  living  out  north  were  greatly  oppressed  by  Jabin,  king 
of  Hazor,  who  was  a  man  of  great  power,  wealth  and  influence.  He 
was  a  formidable  opponent  of  the  Israelites,  and  greatly  oppressed 
them  twenty  years.  His  army  was  large  and  well,  equipped  with  the 
most  deadly  instruments  of  warfare  known  in  history.  He  had  nine 
hundred  chariots  of  iron.  This  great  northern  monarch  treated  the 
poor  Hebrews  without  mercy,  and  held  them  in  a  state  of  sore  depres- 
sion. The  people  cried  unto  the  Lord  to  help  them,  and  he  summoned 
Barak,  son  of  Ahinoam  of  Kedesh,  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  to  deliver 
them.  There  was  a  remarkable  woman  in  Israel  who  was  both  pro- 
phetess and  judge,  whose  name  was  Deborah.  She  was  a  just  and  holy 
woman,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  moved  her  to  arouse  Barak  to 
strike  an  effectual  blow  for  the  deliverence  of  his  people.  Having 
received  the  message  and  the  assurance  of  a  triumphant  victory,  Barak 
gathered  together  ten  thousand  men  from  Zebulun  and  Naphtali,  and 
stationed  them  on  Mt.  Tabor,  from  whence  they  descended  upon 
Jabin's  army  (which  was  commanded  by  Sisera,  his  chief  general,  and 
stationed  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain),  and  threw  them  into  great  con- 
fusion. Sisera 's  army  fled,  followed  by  Barak  ;  being  greatly  confused, 
they  ran  unguardedly  into  the  brook  Kishon,  and  were  carried  head- 
long into  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  It  is  said  by  Jewish  writers  that 
Barak  was  much  alarmed  when  he  saw  the  hosts  of  Jabin's  men  of 
war  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Tabor,  and  would  no  doubt  have  become  faint- 
hearted, had  not  Deborah  been  by  to  encourage  him  and  assure  the 
people  the  Lord  would  give  them  victory.  The  timely  encourage- 
ment of  Deborah  stimulated  Barak  to  immediate  action,  and  he 
descended  the  mount  followed  by  his  ten  thousand  men  of  war.  "  The 
Lord  discomfited  Sisera,  and  all  his  chariots  and  his  host  with 
the  edge  of  the  sword."  Sisera,  who  was  chief  in  command  of  Jabin's 
forces,  got  down  from  his  chariot  and  ran  to  elude  the  pressing  host  of 
Barak,  who  were  hard  after  him.  But  he  was  attracted  by  a  female 
whose  name  was  Jael ;  she  invited  Sisera,  while  fleeing,  into  her  tent ; 
he,  supposing  it  to  be  a  safe  hiding-place,  went  in  and  hid  himself. 


OUTLINE  HISTORY   OF  THE   ISRAELITES.  29 

Tlie  woman  covered  him  with  a  cloak,  and  he,  feeling  himself  secure 
from  the  ajjprehension  of  his  pursuers,  fell  asleep ;  Jael  took  a  long 
nail,  that  she  used  to  fasten  her  tent,  and,  with  powerful  and  effec- 
tive blows,  drove  it  through  his  temples,  and  fastened  his  head  to 
the  ground.  Soon  afterwards  Barak  was  seen  coming  towards  her 
tent,  seeking  the  refugee ;  Jael  ran  to  meet  him,  and  said  she  would 
show  him  his  enemy  ;  he  went  with  her  into  the  tent  and  there  he  saw 
the  man  who  had  proudly  stood  at  the  head  of  Jabin's  array  pinned  to 
the  ground  dead.  Then  the  Israelites  I'esolved  to  subdue  this  terri- 
ble foe  by  whom  they  had  been  troubled  so  long.  "  And  the  hand  of 
the  children  of  Israel  prospered  and  prevailed  against  Jabin,  king  of 
Canaan."  But  the  Israelites  were  soon  found  turning  themselves  from 
the  God  of  their  fathers  and  indulging  in  gross  sins.  Then  the  Midi- 
anites  and  Amalekites,  children  of  the  east,  were  induced  to  come  over 
on  account  of  the  very  fine  crops  and  rich  pastures  of  the  plains  of 
Sharon,  Esdraelon  and  Philistia,  s])read  themselves  through  the  country 
as  far  as  Gaza,  and  became  masters  of  the  beautiful  and  fertile  country 
for  seven  years.  These  intruders  dealt  severely  with  Israel,  many  of 
them  losing  their  homes  and  all  their  possessions.  They  were  hunted 
down  like  wild  beasts,  so  that  Israel  had  to  flee  for  refuge  ;  some  hid 
in  caves,  in  dens  and  among  rocks.  The  Midianites  also  would  rob 
them  of  their  produce,  leaving  nothing  behind  for  man  or  beast. 
These  are  a  few  of  the  afflictions  which  disturbed  the  people  before  a 
deliverer  was  sent  to  them.  At  length  God  appointed  or  inspired 
Gideon,  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  living  in  the  country  south  of  Esdrae- 
lon, to  drive  out  the  Midianites,  who  were  increasing  their  outrageous 
impositions  upon  the  Israelites.  Then  Gideon  went  forth  in  obedience 
to  the  will  of  God  to  fight  the  hosts  of  enemies,  having  but  three  hun- 
dred men  upon  whom  he  could  depend  when  he  had  reached  the  place 
where  the  foe  was  camped.  These  men  had  lapped  water  at  the  brook 
as  an  evidence  of  their  bravery  and  sincerity  of  purpose.  But  above 
all,  God  w^as  with  the  valiant-hearted  commander,  and  assured  him  a 
glorious  victory.  Gideon  suddenly  sprang  upon  the  foe  by  night, 
whilst  they  were  quietly  sleeping,  and  greatly  alarmed  them.  The 
Midianites  had  camped  in  the  valley  of  Jezr.eel,  just  under  the  southern 
shoulder  of  little  Hermon,  which  was  a  splendid  situation  for  defence 
under  ordinary  circumstances.  But  the  advantage  of  position,  so  neces- 
sary in  war,  was  not  a  consideration  with  the  leader  and  commander  of 
the  little  army  of  three  hundred  men  who  went  to  battle  without  any 
physical  weapons  whatever.  Having  made  full  arrangements  for  the 
engagement,  Gideon  made  a  bold,  determined  and  successful  attack  upon 


30  THE   LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

the  enemies  of  Israel,  and  caused  them  to  flee  before  him  with  frantic 
dismay.  A.  messenger  was  sent  to  the  men  of  Ephraim  to  pursue  them 
with  all  possible  haste,  which  they  did,  and  slew  Oreb  and  Zeeb,  two 
of  the  i^rinces  of  Midian.  During  this  engagement  the  enemies  of 
Israel  suffered  great  loss,  for  "  the  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon  " 
was  mighty  in  the  destruction  of  the  intruders.  The  people  were  so 
animated  over  the  victory,  and  so  charmed  with  the  bravery  of  Gideon, 
they  were  ready  to  elect  him  their  king ;  but  such  an  oflBce  was  far 
from  his  wish,  and  he  promptly  refused  it.  It  was  the  Lord's  victory, 
and  he  wanted  Him  to  have  the  glory.  This  man  of  God  died  at  a 
good  old  age,  full  of  honor  and  great  peace,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
sepulchre  with  his  fathers.  This  signal  victory  given  the  Israelites  by 
the  Lord  did  not  make  a  lasting  beneficial  impi-ession  upon  them  ;  for 
they  were  so  greatly  inclined  to  idolatry,  that,  but  a  short  while  after 
the  death  of  Gideon,  they  were  again  following  the  examples  of  the 
heathens  and  leaving  the  established  worship  of  their  fathers.  They 
had  forgotten  Gideon,  and  cared  nothing  for  his  seventy  sons  left  with 
them ;  nor  did  they  seem  to  fondly  remember  the  forty  years  of  peace 
they  had  enjoyed,  because  of  the  services  rendered  them  by  the  man 
of  God,  whom  they  would  have  honored  with  the  office  of  king.  Then 
there  came  another  crisis ;  this  was  the  invasion  of  Gilead,  the  country 
of  Gad,  Reuben  and  Manasseh  by  the  Ammonites,  who  inhabited  the 
country  a  little  to  the  east  of  these  tribes.  Then  Jephthah  became 
their  successful  leader.  He  sent  a  messenger  to  the  king  of  the  Am- 
monites, demanding  to  know  why  he  had  invaded  their  country.  In 
reply  the  king  made  an  excuse  for  doing  so  on  account  of  some  quar- 
rels that  had  occurred  several  hundred  years  prior,  a  matter  the  jDeople 
then  living  had  nothing  to  do  Avith,  and  knew  but  little,  if  anything, 
about.  Jephthah  saw  from  the  answer  of  the  king  there  was  no  foun- 
dation to  justify  his  procedure,  and  that  there  was  evil  intent  in  his 
heart ;  he  therefore  resolved  to  meet  the  Ammonites  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  He  also  made  a  vow  to  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  whatsoever  he 
should  first  meet  on  approaching  his  house  after  the  victory  was  won 
by  him.  He  soon  defeated  the  Ammonites  and  returned  to  his  home 
crowned  with  glory.  When  he  drew  near  his  dwelling,  filled  with 
gratitude  on  account  of  the  double  victory  he  had  won,  his  spirit  was 
suddenly  subdued,  his  only  daughter  came  out  to  meet  and  embrace 
him,  for  he  remembered  his  vow,  which  he  felt  himself  bound  to  per- 
form. The  triumph  of  her  father  over  the  invading  foes  was  so  glad- 
dening to  the  child  that  she  made  no  demur.  The  question  as  to  the 
manner  Jephthah  performed  this  vow  has  been  obstinately  and  exhaus- 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE   ISRAELITES.  31 

tively  discussed  by  several  of  the  most  brilliant  and  sagacious  minds  of 
our  world ;  but  it  has  not  been  definitely  settled.  It  is  thought  by 
some  that  he  really  did  sacrifice  his  daughter  as  a  burnt-offering  to  the 
Lord.  But  when  it  is  called  to  mind  that  no  such  sacrifice  as  human 
flesh  was  acceptable  to  God,  and  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  con- 
queror to  present  a  sacrifice  with  which  the  Lord  would  be  well  pleased 
we  are  inclined  to  the  opinion  of  those  who  discuss  the  question  nega- 
tively, which  seems  to  be  the  more  plausible.  There  was  another 
trouble  broke  out  which  was  very  serious  to  at  least  two  of  the  tribes. 
The  Philistines  on  the  southwest  rose  up  in  great  nundjers  and  com- 
mitted many  depredations  in  Judah  and  Dan,  and  brought  all 
the  country  round  about  under  their  sway,  causing  the  people  to 
endure  great  afflictions.  But  the  Lord  had  at  all  times  some  one  at 
hand  to  stand  in  the  defence  of  Israel  when  they  fervently  prayed  to 
Him.  In  this  case  Samson,  the  son  of  Manoah,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan, 
was  their  deliverer.  The  conflict  between  the  Hebrews  and  Philis- 
tines was  strong  and  severe.  At  times  the  latter  seemed  to  be  increas- 
ing in  power,  and  Israel  many  times  smarted  under  their  afflictions ; 
and  the  condition  of  things  indicated  that  the  Philistines  would  soon 
become  masters  of  the  situation,  who,  with  a  relentless  hand,  were  con- 
tinually binding  heavy  burdens  upon  the  disconsolate  Israelites.  But 
Samson  was  found  to  be  a  strong  deliverer  and  saved  his  people  from 
much  distress.  The  people  were  still  clamoring  for  a  king,  and  noth- 
ing else  would  satisfy  them.  Their  ambition  for  a  monarch  had 
thoroughly  matured  during  the  judgeship  of  Samuel,  who  Avas  the  last 
of  those  oflScials  in  Israel.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  he  was  the  ■ 
most  efficient  and  energetic  of  all  the  Hebrew  judges. 

The  political  and  moral  condition  of  the  people  was  at  a  very  dis- 
couraging point  when  he  began  his  administration  ;  but  Samuel  lifted 
them  from  this  deplorable  state,  freed  them  from  the  oppressions  of 
tyrant  foes,  and  established  the  true  religious  worship  among  them. 
His  period  was  the  closing  of  the  judges  and  the  dawning  of  the  kingly 
age.  When  the  duties  of  the  office  became  too  heavy  for  Samuel  in 
his  declining  years,  so  that  he  felt  himself  physically  incompetent  to 
make  his  annual  circuit  through  the  country  to  administer  justice  as 
he  had  done,  and  feeling  anxious  as  to  the  prosperity  of  the  people,  he 
appointed  his  two  sons,  Joel  and  'Abijah,  judges  over  Israel.  But, 
instead  of  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  their  father,  they  were  entirely 
to  the  contrary,  being  avaricious,  reckless  and  untrue,  having  no  disposi- 
tion to  care  for  the  prosperity  of  any  one  but  themselves.  Being  greedy 
for  gain,  they  allowed  themselves    to    take  bribes,  and  would  often 


32  THE    LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

punish  the  innocent  and  protect  the  guilty.  Many  times  their  decisions 
were  given  in  favor  of  the  men  who  furnished  the  most  money.  "And 
his  sons  (Samuel's)  walked  not  in  his  ways,  but  turned  aside  after  lucre, 
and  took  bribes  and  perverted  judgment."  The  feeling  among  the 
people  to  have  a  king  to  rule  over  them  had  been  growing  stronger  for 
a  long  time,  and  they  became  restlessly  anxious  for  one  during  the 
administration  of  the  sons  of  Samuel,  and  based  the  necessity  of  such  a 
change  upon  the  conduct  of  these  unjust  men.  Samuel  was  much  dis- 
pleased with  the  growuig  and  unyielding  disposition  of  Israel,  and 
endeavored  to  change  their  purpose,  but  could  do  nothing  with  them  ; 
a  king  they  longed  for,  and  a  king  they  must  have.  Finding  he  could 
not  change  them,  the  aged  judge  took  the  case  to  God  in  prayer,  that 
he  might  be  properly  directed  what  to  do.  Now  the  crisis  is  at  hand  ; 
the  Lord  is  about  to  grant  the  people  their  anxious  wish,  but  informs 
Samuel  that  they  must  bear  the  responsibility  of  their  own  folly.  God 
then  directed  him  to  anoint  one,  whom  he  would  be  directed  by  the 
Spirit,  to  be  their  king.  One  day  Kish,  the  father  of  Saul,  missed 
some  of  his  donkeys  and  sent  him  to  look  for  them.  The  young  man 
and  his  servant  traveled  a  three  days'  journey  without  success.  Saul 
then  concluded  it  would  be  better  to  return  home,  fearing  his  father 
would  be  troubled  about  him.  But  the  servant  remembering  they 
were  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ramah,  the  home  of  Samuel,  he  proposed 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  "  man  of  God  ;  "  and  inasmuch  as  he  was  a  prophet 
he  might  be  able  to  inform  them  where  the  donkeys  could  be  found. 
Saul  agreed  to  the  proposition ;  and  as  they  were  going  up  the  hill 
towards  Ramah,  they  met  Samuel  on  his  way  to  offer  a  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord.  He  had  been  impressed  by  the  Spirit  that  he  should  meet  a 
man  that  day  whom  he  should  anoint  with  oil,  according  to  the  honored 
customs  of  nations,  setting  apart  a  man  to  be  king.  As  soon  as  the 
old  sire  saw  Saul  he  knew  he  was  the  man  ;  and  just  at  that  moment 
the  Spirit  impressed  him  to  anoint  the  young  man.  After  he  was 
anointed  he  was  to  go  to  Gilgal  with  Samuel  to  offer  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord ;  and  when  the  people  saw  Saul  among  the  prophets  they  marveled. 
When  the  time  came  for  a  king  to  be  selected,  Samuel  called  the 
people  together  at  Mizpeh,  and  recounted  to  them  the  wonderful  things 
the  Lord  had  done  for  them  from  the  time  He  led  them  forth  from  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  how  ungrateful  they  had  shown  themselves.  They 
had  at  that  time  reached  the  most  critical  period  of  their  history,  for 
they  were  changing  from  a  theocratical  to  a  monarchical  government. 
It  was  an  auspicious  moment,  a  turning  point  in  the  political  affairs 
freighted  with  momentous  results.    The  peoj^le  were  about  to  withdraw 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES.  33 

themselves  from  the  superintendency  of  the  Lord,  and  put  their 
affairs  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a  man.  The  final  duty  of  Samuel  was 
to  advise  the  jieople  as  to  their  duty  to  the  king  and  the  king's  duty 
toward  the  people.  Then  Saul  was  chosen  and  installed  king  of  Israel. 
Such  were  his  many  opportunities,  he  would  have  been  the  idol  of  the 
nation,  and  a  great  blessing  to  his  subjects,  had  he  allowed  himself  to 
be  under  the  guidance  of  God.  He  began  his  administration  with 
manliness  and  bravery ;  the  victory  he  obtained  over  the  Ammonites 
was  a  signal  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  him  and  his  people,  and 
caused  the  new  nation  to  rejoice  in  their  king.  But  the  flattering  pros- 
pect with  which  Saul  began  his  reign  was  soon  clouded  by  confusion 
and  trouble.  King  Saul  had  his  headquarters  in  Gibeah,  about  four 
miles  from  Jerusalem  ;  and  although  he  was  lifted  to  the  highest  and 
most  honorable  position  in  the  gift  of  the  people,  he  would  often  be 
engaged  in  domestic  affairs.  After  the  death  of  Saul,  David  of  Beth- 
lehem, succeeded  him.  He  was  anointed  while  a  lad,  long  before  the 
death  of  Saul,  to  be  the  second  king  of  Israel,  by  good  old  Samuel, 
who  was  then  in  the  evening  of  life.  After  the  inauguration  of  David, 
he  began  his  reign  in  Hebron,  the  great  historical  city  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  to  which  he  belonged. 

The  new  king  met  with  stubborn  opposition  from  the  tribes  of  the 
north  and  east,  who  for  seven  years  and  a  half  refused  to  submit  to  his 
authority,  and  clung  with  great  zeal  to  the  house  of  Saul.  The  per- 
sistent opposition  these  tribes  made  to  the  rule  of  David  was  the 
signal  of  a  future  trouble,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  revolt  under  the 
rule  of  Rehoboam.  For,  notwithstanding  David  had  been  chosen  by 
the  Lord  and  was  anointed  by  His  direction  to  be  the  king  of  Israel, 
Ishbosheth,  Saul's  son,  was  so  eager  to  succeed  his  father,  he  encouraged 
the  rebellious  spirit  exhibited  against  the  son  of  Jesse,  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  illegally  installed  king  over  the  dissatisfied  tribes.  This 
naturally  introduced  war,  to  force  the  rebels  to  loyalty.  Ishbosheth 
established  his  headquarters  in  Mahanaim,  among  the  hills  of  Gilead 
east  of  the  Jordan,  and  the  place  in  which  David  afterwards  found 
refuge  when  he  fled  from  his  son  Absalom.  The  son  of  Saul,  and  his 
party,  did  not  hold  out  long ;  there  were  so  many  adversities  in  their 
way  the  hearts  of  the  people  failed,  and  by  mutual  consent  they 
accepted  David  as  king  of  the  whole  nation.  The  king,  feeling  the 
weight  of  his  responsibility  and  himself  too  remote  from  the  masses, 
sought  a  place  more  convenient  for  his  seat  of  power.  Jerusalem 
(Jebus)  was  fixed  upon  as  a  proper  locality,  it  being  twenty-six  miles 
further  north.  The  strongly  fortified  Mount  Jebus  was  much  desired, 
3 


34  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE, 

because  of  its  adaptation  for  an  impregnable  fortress.  The  desire  of 
the  king  was  soon  gratified,  for  Mount  Jebus  was  ceded  to  him.  David 
soon  became  known  as  a  great  warrior,  and  was  feared  by  the  nations 
round  about  him.  Some  of  these  nations  formed  alliances,  and  others 
were  tributaries  and  brought  him  a  great  revenue.  David  also  estab- 
lished the  national  worship  at  Jerusalem,  making  it  the  centre  of  the 
great  religious  festivals,  to  which  the  people  went  to  pay  their  devotions 
to  the  Most  High.  When  David  drew  near  to  the  end  of  his  life,  he 
gave  his  son  Solomon  a  most  solemn  charge,  "  then  gathered  up  his  feet 
and  died."  The  Lord  had  given  him  the  plan  for  building  the  Temple, 
which  was  transferred  to  Solomon,  who  carefully  carried  out  all  the 
requirements  necessary  to  its  completion.  When  finished,  he  solemnly 
dedicated  it  to  the  worship  of  God,  with  most  impressive  services.  The 
youthful  king  displayed  great  wisdom  and  devout  piety  in  the  begin- 
ning of  his  reign ;  but  as  he  grew  older  and  more  popular  his  conduct 
changed  and  he  fell  into  many  disgraceful  snares,  which  brought  the 
displeasure  of  God  upon  him,  and  introduced  the  final  decline  of 
the  nation.  When  Solomon  died,  his  son  Rehoboam  ascended  the 
throne.  The  dissatisfaction  which  began  in  the  beginning  of  his 
grandfather's  reign,  reached  its  height,  and  ten  of  the  tribes  revolted, 
utterly  refusing  to  allow  the  new  king  to  rule  over  them.  The  revolt- 
ing ten  tribes  sent  representatives  up  to  Shechem  to  arrange  for  the 
election  of  another  king,  and  the  establishment  of  another  kingdom. 
When  these  representatives  met,  they  did  not  disclose  their  intention, 
but  pretended  they  were  going  up  there  to  harmonize  the  difficulty  and 
acknowledge  Rehoboam  their  rightful  king.  But  it  was  found,  when 
too  late  to  remedy  the  matter,  that  it  was  the  full  and  unyielding  pur- 
pose of  the  ten  tribes  to  revolt.  It  was  the  last  stroke  upon  the  wedge 
of  discord,  which  rent  the  kingdom  in  twain,  never  again  to  be  united. 
They  pi'oclaimed  Jeroboam  king  of  the  ten  tribes  at  Shechem ;  and 
fearing  the  people  might  be  induced  to  abandon  his  kingdom  if  allowed 
free  to  associate  with  those  who  remained  loyal  to  Rehoboam,  especially 
if  they  continued  their  visits  to  Jerusalem  as  in  former  times  to  worship 
at  the  Temple,  he  persuaded  them  that  it  was  too  far  to  go  from  their 
distant  homes  up  to  the  Holy  City.  He  therefore  made  two  molten 
calves  for  the  people  to  worship,  and  said  to  them,  "  Behold  the  gods 
who  brought  you  from  the  land  of  Egypt."  To  these  idols  he  ordered 
that  the  people  should  bow  and  pay  their  religious  devotions,  which 
they  did  most  fervently.  The  new  kingdom,  composed  of  the  ten 
tribes,  was  called  Israel ;  and  the  old  kingdom,  composed  of  the  remain- 
ing two  tribes,  Judah  and  Benjamin,  was  called  Judah.     The  latter 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES.  35 

partially  maintained  its  original  religious  worship  ;  but  the  former 
wholly  departed  from  it.  Jeroboam,  for  the  accomplishment  of  his 
purpose,  established  two  places  of  worship  within  the  bounds  of  his 
kingdom ;  one  was  at  Bethel  on  the  southern  extremity,  the  other  at 
Dan  out  on  the  northern  boundary.  These  twelve  tribes  were  not  only 
divided  in  government  and  religion,  but  were  also  divided  socially. 
Their  feelings  of  unfriendliness  grew  so  strong,  they  Avere  led  to  hate 
each  other.  The  northern  kingdom  continued  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  but  its  experiences  were  checkered  and  many  times  most  bitter. 
The  seat  of  government  was  changed  several  times ;  Shechem,  Tirzah 
and  Samaria,  each  for  a  while  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  chief 
seat  of  power.  The  kingdom  of  Judah  continued  its  capital  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  was  not  without  its  scourgings  from  time  to  time,  because 
of  the  growing  inclination  of  the  people  to  depart  from  the  God  of 
their  fathers  and  follow  the  example  of  the  heathen.  The  kings  of 
Judah  were  succeeded  in  an  unbroken  line  in  the  house  of  David  ;  but 
Israel  did  not  adhere  to  any  particular  line  of  succession,  therefore 
many  radical  changes  were  made,  and  many  dynasties  were  in  power 
during  the  two  and  a  half  centuries  of  its  existence,  as  we  shall  see  in 
another  chapter. 

We  cannot  fail  to  recognize  the  hand  of  God  affectionately  admin- 
istering to  Israel's  protection  and  prosperity  for  a  long  while,  notwith- 
standing the  nation  had  left  him  and  sought  other  gods.  The  priest- 
hood continued  in  Judah,  where  they  were  needed  to  officiate  in  the 
religious  ceremonies  at  the  Temple,  and  do  such  other  duties  as  was 
usual  to  those  officials.  Israel  had  no  real  need  of  the  legitimate 
priests,  therefore  God  sent  the  prophets  to  that  people  to  arouse  them 
from  their  slumber  in  which  idolatry  had  placed  them.  The  prophets 
often  appeared  and  warned  both  king  and  people  of  the  danger  that 
would  follow  their  sinfulness,  and  the  calamities  they  would  encounter. 
But  their  admonishments  were  mostly  unheeded,  and  finally  the  cup 
of  Israel's  transgressions  was  filled  to  overflowing.  Among  the 
prophets  sent  to  this  people  were  Elijah,  Elisha,  and  many  others. 
These  men  of  God  labored  hard  to  cause  Israel  to  turn  to  the  God  of 
their  fathers,  but  they  could  not  so  impress  them.  Finally  the  Lord 
left  them  to  themselves,  and  soon  they  were  carried  away  into  captivity 
by  the  strong  arm  of  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  in  that  state  drank  the 
bitter  cup  of  indignation,  administered  by  their  own  hands.  Then  a 
strong  people  inhabited  the  land  so  suddenly  relieved  of  its  proud  and 
rebellious  occupants.  Multitudes  of  Assyrians  were  transported  to  the 
land  of  Israel,  who  finally  embraced  (in  part)  the  religion  of  their 


36  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

predecessors.  These  people  were  afterwards  known  as  Samaritans.  A 
small  remnant  of  their  descendants  are  now  living  in  Shechem.  When 
the  inhabitants  of  Samaria  and  the  adjacent  country  were  carried 
away  captive  by  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  he  sent  colonies  in  their 
place  from  Babylonia,  Cuthah,  Hamath,  Sepharvaira,  and  other  towns 
in  his  dominion.  AVhen  they  came  over  and  settled  down  in  the  land 
of  Israel  they  found  a  remnant  of  them  scattered  here  and  there 
through  the  country.  It  is  generally  believed  that  they  soon  became 
socially  drawn  to  the  new  colonists,  and  inter-marriages  soon  took  place 
among  them,  so  that  in  the  process  of  time  the  whole  people  were 
amalgamated  into  one  people.  When  the  Jews  returned  from  their 
captivity  and  found  this  strange  race-type  in  the  land,  they  were  dis- 
posed to  treat  them  with  unfriendliness,  not  because  they  were  a  mix- 
ture of  Jews  and  heathens,  but  on  account  of  their  religion.  They 
were  found  to  have  embraced  a  portion  of  the  Jewish  worship,  having 
sent  to  Assyria  for  an  Israelitish  priest  to  come  and  teach  them  the 
law  of  the  Lord,  but  the  greater  number  were  but  partially  drawn 
fi'om  the  heathen  worship.  When  the  walls  of  the  Temple  and  the 
City  of  Jerusalem  were  about  to  be  rebuilt,  these  people  wished  to 
assist,  it  is  thought,  on  the  ground  of  their  being  Jewish  citizens. 
Their  request  was  not  complied  with,  and  from  that  time  onward  there 
was  a  strong  feeling  of  discord  between  the  Jews  and  Samaritans.  The 
latter  then  finding  that  Moses  commanded  in  the  law  a  special  service 
should  be  held  on  Mt.  Gerizim  by  Joshua  and  the  people  entering  the 
"  Land  of  Promise,"  and  believing  that  Gerizim  was  the  place  designed 
for  perpetual  services,  they  set  themselves  at  once  about  building  a 
Temple  there,  and  when  it  was  finished  they  sacrificed  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  Mosaic  law.  They  also  rejected  all  sacred  books 
of  the  Jews,  except  the  Pentateuch.  Sanballat,  who  was  governor  of 
Samaria,  was  very  hostile  to  the  Jews,  and  resorted  to  every  stratagem 
to  impede  their  progress.  When  Nehemiah  came  from  Shushan  and 
began  to  rebuild  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  Sanballat  sent  to  inquire  by 
what  authority  he  did  so,  and  offered  many  impediments  to  hinder  his 
success.  He  was  so  odious  in  Jewish  estimation  that  his  name  was  held 
among  them  in  great  contempt,  and  all  intercourse  between  the  Jews 
and  Samaritans  was  carefully  avoided.  The  great  Temple,  so  sacredly 
adored  by  this  mixed  race,  was  destroyed  by  Hyrcan us  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-nine  years  before  Christ,  and  was  never  fully  restored, 
but  the  'Samaritans  continued  to  reverence  the  place  as  no  other  on 
earth  ;  it  was  so  esteemed  in  the  time  of  our  Lord  they  would  ascend 
its  rugged  heights  then,  as  they  do  now,  on  the  return  of  their  great 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE   ISRAELITES.  37 

festival  season,  and  celebrate  the  passover  with  jubilating  shouts.  The 
remnant  of  the  Samaritans,  who  still  linger  about  Sheehem,  continue 
these  most  peculiar  services  on  the  brow  of  Gerizira  every  year,  and 
draw  ci'owds  of  people  from  the  town  to  witness  their  celebration. 
They  are  a  people  strongly  attached  to  each  other,  and  will  not  inter- 
marry. It  is  said  they  are  dying  out,  and  from  the  rate  of  reduction 
they  have  experienced  during  the  last  century,  it  is  only  a  question  of 
a  comparatively  short  time  before  all  of  them  will  have  died,  and  the 
race  will  be  numbered  with  the  past.  They  were  a  distinct  race 
socially,  and  remain  so  to  this  day.  They  still  cling  to  their  old  relig- 
ious rites,  and  annually  celebrate  their  feast  of  the  passover  on  Mt. 
Gerizim.  The  site  of  their  Ancient  Temple  is  still  located,  but  they 
hold  their  meetings  in  a  small  building  on  the  slope  of  the  Mount, 
known  as  the  Samaritan  Temple.  They  are  very  friendly  to  strangers, 
and  seemingly  take  pleasure  in  showing  their  relics,  which  have  been 
preserved  from  age  to  age,  especially  their  old  manuscripts.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  visiting  this  little  Temple  on  the  morning  we  left 
Sheehem,  and  was  shown  the  articles  they  keep  on  exhibition.  The 
community  is  poor  and  fond  of  begging,  which  is  not  an  uncommon 
thing  in  Palestine.  They  claim  to  have  come  down  from  their  ances- 
tors unmixed  with  any  other  of  the  race  representatives,  and  pride 
themselves  in  being  from  the  stock  of  genuine  Samaritans.  They  have 
a  very  light  complexion,  and  may  be  compared  with  the  octoroons  or 
very  fair  mulattoes.  Their  hair  is  long  and  straight,  and  features  very 
pleasant.  They  are  thoroughly  devoted  to  their  religion,  and  separate 
themselves  from  all  other  sects.  These  people  became  very  numerous 
after  their  transportation  here,  so  that  on  the  return  of  the  Jews  from 
captivity  they  found  this  strange  people  occupying  all  the  districts  that 
had  been  alloted  to  Ephraim,  Manasseh  and  Issachar,  and  was  known 
as  the  middle  districts  of  Palestine.  Judah  was  on  the  south  and 
Galilee  on  the  north,  so  that  persons  going  either  way  had  to  pass 
through  Samaria.  It  embraced  the  modern  districts  of  Aretas,  Car- 
mel,  Sheehem,  and  the  City  of  Samaria.  With  this  description  before 
us  it  can  be  easily  understood  why  Christ  must  needs  go  through 
Samaria,  when  He  was  going  over  to  Galilee  with  His  disciples.  The 
Jews  who  returned  from  the  caj)tivity  did  not  show  themselves  so 
deeply  interested  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  country  as  those  who 
lived  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  the  king  of  Babylon, 
nor  were  they  very  particular  about  hunting  up,  and  dividing  in  sep- 
arate communities,  the  members  of  the  respective  tribes,  as  had  been 
done  on  the  entrance  of  their  fathers  into  the  land. 


38  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

The  people  were  looked  upon  as  Jews,  or  a  vast  brotherhood  of  the 
descendants  of  Abraham,  constitutins:  one  of  the  two  great  divisions  of 
the  human  race.  Thi;<  term,  Jew,  seems  to  have  been  specially  applied 
to  the  two  tribes  who  remained  loyal  to  Rehoboam  and  his  successors; 
it  distinguished  them  from  the  ten  tribes  who  revolted  and  crowned 
Jereboam  king  over  the  northern  kingdom.  The  chief  stimulant  of 
the  Jews  on  their  re-occupancy  of  Palestine  was  to  rebuild  the  demol- 
ished city  and  walls,  and  build  again  the  saci'ed  edifice  to  the  Avorship 
of  the  Most  High.  There  were  members  of  each  of  the  twelve  tribes 
among  those  who  returned,  but  they  had  at  least  a  traditional  knowl- 
edge of  the  ills  their  fathers  endured  by  holding  so  tenaciously  to  the 
tribe  to  which  they  belonged  rather  than  looking  after  the  good  of  the 
whole  people.  They  therefore  settled  in  Jerusalem  in  great  numbers, 
and  from  there  planted  themselves  upon  the  environments,  spreading 
out  more  as  their  numbers  increased,  until  finally  they  passed  beyond 
the  territory  of  the  central  districts  inhabited  by  the  Samaritans  and 
settled  in  the  most  remote  northern  province,  known  in  the  Tsew  Testa- 
ment times  as  Galilee.  This  is  the  portion  of  the  country  in  which 
Our  Lord  did  the  most  of  His  "  mighty  works  "  and  spent  the  greater 
part  of  His  life.  The  people  living  in  the  south  and  southeast,  some 
time  after  they  had  settled  down  and  began  to  enjoy  a  good  degree  of 
prosperity,  were  inclined  to  ridicule  and  oppose  their  fellow-Jews  who 
lived  in  the  far  north,  and  foster  the  old  prejudice  against  them  almost 
like  that  that  divided  the  two  kingdoms  prior  to  the  captivity.  The 
Galileans  were  considered  the  most  morally  depraved  people  in  the 
country,  who  belonged  to  the  Jewish  family,  especially  those  living  in 
Kazareth  ;  even  people  in  other  portions  of  Galilee  looked  down  upon 
them  derisively,  as  Avill  be  seen  in  another  chapter.  The  whole  history 
of  the  Jews  suddenly  closed  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  with  the 
writings  of  Malachi,  he  being  the  last  of  the  prophetic  writei^s  under 
the  old  dispensation.  It  is  generally  believed  he  was  known  as  a 
prophet  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  years  after  the  return  of  the 
Jews  from  their  Babylonian  captivity  and  four  hundred  years,  b.  c. 
But  some  writers  estimate  the  time  at  four  years  earlier,  and  others 
thirty  years  later.  The  exact  time  is  unsettled,  but  the  general  opinion 
favors  the  former  estimation.  Thus  it  is  seen  there  was  a  long  silence 
of  nearly  four  and  a  quarter  centuries  from  the  time  of  Malachi 
to  that  of  John  the  Baptist.  During  this  long  period  of  Bible  silence 
the  history  of  the  Jews  was  written  by  uninspired  men,  known  as 
ancient  historians.  During  the  transition  from  the  old  to  the  new 
dispensation  the  Jews  lapsed  into  bold  and  gross  wickedness,  so  that 


OUTLINE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES.  39 

when  our  Lord  came  He  found  them  full  of  selfishness,  pride,  lust  and 
blindness.  Josephus  and  other  historians  show  in  their  writings  that 
the  history  of  the  Jews  was  much  less  important  during  this  long  period 
of  prophetic  silence  than  in  former  times.  They,  having  been  subord- 
inated by  foreign  powers,  lost  their  national  independence  and  became 
tributary  to  Persia  and  other  kingdoms,  and  less  prominent  in  the 
history  of  nations.  The  Persian  monarch  appointed  a  governor  over 
them,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Damascus,  and  the  High  Priest  at 
Jerusalem  was  his  deputy.  The  Jews  highly  favored  this  custom,  be- 
cause they  were  allowed  to  do  just  as  though  they  were  independent,  ex- 
cept the  payment  of  taxes,  which  was  a  very  great  annoyance  to  them. 
But  the  High  Priest  being  a  Jew,  and  one  of  those  who  was  under 
this  burden,  did  much  toward  allaying  any  attempt  at  rebellion  among 
the  people  and  encouraged  them  to  be  loyal.  When  Alexander  the 
Great  had  conquered  Persia  and  was  making  a  siege  upon  Tyre,  he 
sent  up  to  Jerusalem,  which  was  then  a  tributary  to  Persia,  for  troops, 
but  the  High  Priest  refused  to  aid  him.  This  is  an  evidence  of  the 
strong  attachment  there  was  between  Cyrus  and  his  officials  at  Jeru- 
salem. It  is  stated  that  he  expressed  his  firm  determination  of  adher- 
ing to  the  Persians,  notwithstanding  Alexander  was  conquering  the 
world,  and  would,  from  his  position  at  that  time,  soon  be  in  Jerusalem. 
But  it  will  be  seen  in  another  chapter  that  this  same  High  Priest, 
against  whom  the  great  warrior  had  sworn  vengeance,  conquered  him 
without  striking  a  blow,  and  humbled  him  to  the  extent  that  he  did  not 
even  attempt  to  lift  up  his  arm  against  him  or  injure  any  of  those 
under  him.  It  is  thought  the  victory  won  by  the  High  Priest  over 
Alexander  on  the  day  he  was  about  to  enter  and  destroy  Jerusalem, 
Avas  one  of  the  greatest  conquests  ever  won  by  a  man  through  humilia- 
tion. The  monarch's  wrath  was  changed  to  tenderness,  and  the  sceptre 
of  iron  with  which  he  intended  to  govern  the  Jews  was  changed  into  a 
gentle  and  liberal  one.  The  people  were  not  burdened  with  taxes,  nor 
did  they  lose  any  of  the  privileges  they  enjoyed  under  the  Persian 
rule.  After  the  death  of  Alexander  the  Ptolemies  ruled  Jerusalem. 
The  poor  Jews  were  so  depi-essed  it  seems  they  made  but  little  attempt 
towards  their  oAS'n  defense  for  a  long  time.  The  Syrians,  who  lived  on 
the  north  of  Palestine,  rapidly  grew  into  power  and  brought  the  Jews 
under  their  sway.  They  were  merciless  and  ruled  their  subjects  with 
an  iron  sceptre. 

The  situation  of  the  people  grew  more  severe,  so  that  their  blood 
Avas  so  freely  shed  by  their  oppressors  that  it  ran  down  the  streets ; 
their  sanctuary  was  plundered  and  robbed  of  its  rich  and  sacred  trea- 


40  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

sures.  At  length  the  Maccabees  rose  up  to  defend  the  people,  removed 
their  heavy  burdens,  destroyed  all  traces  of  heathen  woi-ship  that  had 
been  established,  restored  the  true  worship,  and  re-established  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  nation.  The  Jews  experienced  great  peace  under  their 
rule,  especially  under  Simon,  the  second  brother ;  but  this  did  not  con- 
tinue long  ;  the  nation  was  doomed  to  distress  as  a  reward  of  its  hands. 
When  the  Romans  came  into  power  in  Palestine  they  held  dominant 
sway  over  it,  and  caused  the  people  to  smart  under  their  rigid  rule, 
and  they  were  found  to  be  very  much  chagrined  on  account  of  Roman 
exactions  when  the  Lord  Jesus  came  amongst  them.  Jerusalem 
received  its  most  deadly  stroke  during  the  great  siege  of  Titus,  from 
which  she  never  finally  recovered.  Afterwards  Jerusalem  became  a 
Christian  city  under  Constantino  the  great,  but  has  experienced  many 
religious  and  political  changes  since. 


PART   IT. 
FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM. 

Situation  of  Joppa — Landing  at  Joppa — House  of  Simon  the  Tanner — Streets  of 
.Toppa — Orange  Groves — Americ:in  Colony  at  Joppa — Joppa  Pilgrims — Pre- 
paration for  their  Festival — Traders  in  the  City — Plain  of  Sharon — Old 
Highway — Lydda — Greek  Church  in  Lydda — Ramleh— Tower  of  the  Foity 
— View  from  the  Tower — Valley  of  Ajalon — Ai — Israel's  First  Defeat — Ai 
Captured  by  Joshua— Joshua  and  Israelites  go  to  Shechem — Gibeonites 
Visit  Joshua — Kings'  Confederacy— Joshua  Responds  to  Gibeonites — Fate  of 
Confederacy — Joshua's  Prayer  for  Sun  and  Moon  to  Stand  Still — Joshua's 
Victory — El-Jib  or  Gibeon — Bible  Associations — History  of  Gibeon — Naby- 
Samwill  or  Ancient  INIizpeh — Situation — View  from  the  Mosque — Ancient 
Mizpeh — Present  Village — Approaching  Jerusalem  from  Joppa — Northern 
Confederacy — Jabin  Forming  a  Confederacy — Jabin  and  His  Allies — March 
to  Lake  Merom — Situation  of  Battle-field — The  Great  Battle — Joshua's 
Victory. 

ANCIENT  JOPPA. 

JOPPA,  some  times  called  YaiFa,  or  Yafa,  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant and  interesting  cities  along  the  Mediterranean  coast ;  it  is 
situated  on  a  low  eminence  immediately  on  sea-border.  One  viewing 
it  from  the  deck  of  an  approaching  steamer,  is  favorably  impressed 
with  its  picturesque  appearance,  and  at  once  begins  to  consider  its 
ancient  history,  which  has  made  it  memorable  for  thousands  of  years. 

From  the  time  of  King  David  to  the  present,  Joppa  has  been  the 
sea-port  for  Jerusalem,  it  being  the  nearest  and  most  convenient  land- 
ing town  on  the  sea  from  which  merchandise  could  be  transported  to 
the  "Gfreat  City." 

Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  shipped  the  cedar  timber  to  this  port,  which 
was  transported  to  Jerusalem  to  be  used  in  the  temple.  From  Joppa 
the  Prophet  Jonah  started  in  his  fruitless  attempt  to  shirk  the  resiDon- 
sibility  involved  in  the  commission  God  gave  him  when  ordered  to 
Nineveh  ;  who,  instead  of  shipping  to  that  port,  started  for  Tarsus,  and 
while  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  during  the  most  eventful  storm  that  ever 
swept  over  it,  he  was  compelled  to  take  passage  in  the  abdomen  of  "  a 
great  fish  "  to  Nineveh,  and  proclaim  in  its  streets  the  message  the 
Lord  commanded  him  to  give  the  people  of  that  city. 

Joppa  w^as  the  home  of  the  prophetess  Dorcas,  whom  the  Apostle 
Peter  restored  to  life,  and  also  of  Simon  ''the  Tanner,"  with  wdiom  he 
(Peter)  lodged.     It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  house  on  the  margin  of  the 

41 


42  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

sea,  known  as  that  of  "Simon  the  Tanner,"  which  is  near  the  tanners' 
row,  may  be  identical  with  the  site  on  which  the  house  stood  that  St. 
Peter  lodged  in,  and  on  the  top  of  which  he  sat  while  in  that  mysteri- 
ous trance,  when  he  saw  the  vision  which  convinced  him  that  "  God  is 
no  respecter  of  persons,"  but  extended  His  blessings  to  all  alike  of 
whatever  nation,  race,  tribe,  condition,  or  complexion. 

Ancient  Joppa  has  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the 
world,  Pliny  says  :  "  It  existed  before  the  flood  ;  "  but  Josephus  traces 
it  to  Phoenician  origin.  As  in  the  antique  times,  so  now,  Joppa  is  the 
landing-port  for  all  travelers  and  merchandise  going  up  to  Jerusalem. 

It  has  no  harbor,  therefore  the  landing  of  passengers  at  all  times  is 
unpleasant  and  often  very  dangerous,  and  for  this  reason  the  greatest 
caution  is  taken  by  sea-captains;  they  will  not  venture  to  stop  at  the 
usual  anchoring  places,  or  anywhere  at  this  port,  if  the  weather  is  foul. 
The  steamships  are  generally  anchored  about  one  or  two  miles  from 
the  shore  in  the  shoal  water,  where  numerous  rocks  are  prominent 
which  have  been  ruinous  to  many  vessels  that  were  suddenly  overtaken 
by  storms,  which  broke  them  from  their  moorings,  and,  before  they 
could  be  controlled,  were  broken  to  pieces  among  the  rocks. 

It  has  also  happened  several  times  that  scores  of  human  beings 
have  perished  in  their  endeavor  to  reach  the  shore  in  row  boats  during 
very  rough  weather ;  so,  to  avoid  peril,  both  to  passengers  and  vessels, 
many  times  no  stop  is  made  at  Joppa,  and  persons  having  taken  pas- 
sage for  that  port  are  taken  to  Haifa  or  Beyroilt,  and  sent  back  in 
another  steamer  to  Joppa,  or  up  to  Jerusalem  on  horseback. 

There  is  great  competition  amongst  the  Arab  boatmen  in  their 
endeavor  to  secure  the  greater  number  of  passengers  to  land,  especially 
when  a  small  number  are  booked  for  Joppa  ;  these  men  will  do  any- 
thing to  take  advantage  of  each  other ;  they  will  even  tell  passengers 
that  the  boat  of  the  man  whom  they  are  arranging  with  is  not  safe,  and 
that  he  is  not  able  to  manage  it,  and  urge  them  not  to  trust  him. 

The  day  we  arrived  at  the  mooring  the  sea  was  very  rough,  and 
growing  more  so  constantly.  We  were  all  deeply  interested  as  to  the 
propriety  of  attempting  to  go  to  the  landing  in  the  small  row-boats, 
which  were  brought  over  to  our  steamer  for  us,  managed  by  eight  or 
ten  strong  men,  whose  skillful  management  of  the  oars  was  convincing 
that  they  were  well  adapted  to  the  work,  and  could  be  trusted  even 
when  the  sea  was  much  troubled. 

As  there  was  no  other  convenience  to  take  passengers  to  the  shore, 
and  to  continue  our  journey  to  Haifa  or  Beyrout  would  cost  fifty  or 
sixty  dollars  more,  we  concluded  to  venture  to  make  the  landing  in  the 
small  boat. 


FKOM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  43 

Although  thousands  of  people  disembark  at  the  port  of  Joppa 
every  year,  no  special  provisions  are  made  as  to  their  safety.  In  nearly 
all  the  ports  in  foreign  lands  steam  launches  are  provided  for  the  safe 
conveyance  of  passengers  to  and  from  the  steamers  ;  but  Joppa  is  the 
most  unprotected  and  danjierous  of  all  ports  we  visited  during  our 
entire  circuit  around  the  world. 

LANDING   AT  JOPPA. 

Within  three  or  four  miles  of  the  shore  evident  signs  of  shoal  water 
are  prominent,  which  continues  more  and  more  until  the  anchorage  is 
reached.  Ledges  of  low-peaked  rocks  extend  far  out  into  the  sea, 
which  may  be  properly  called  the  "gates  of  death,"  because  of  their 
peculiar  situation. 

Many  vessels  have  been  broken  to  pieces  against  them,  and  thous- 
ands of  human  beings  have  perished  there.  It  is  estimated  that  if  the 
number  of  ships  and  human  beings  who  have  perished  in  those  shoals 
could  be  laid  over  them,  they  would  cover  a  space  of  many  miles. 

Only  a  few  days  prior  to  our  arrival  there  were  eighteen  persons, 
who  had  ventured  to  go  ashore  in  one  of  those  small  boats,  perished  in 
the  sea,  their  boat  capsizing  during  a  heavy  gale.  Notwithstanding 
the  very  rough  weather  which  had  greatly  agitated  the  water  and  was 
getting  more  intense  every  hour,  on  the  day  of  our  arrival,  yet  we 
nerved  up  to  the  strongest  point  and  ventured  to  reach  land  in  a  small 
row-boat,  placing  all  possible  trust  in  the  never-failing  arm  of  the 
Lord. 

The  boatmen  worked  faithfully  and  earnestly  to  take  their  human 
cargo  safely  to  the  landing,  and  when  they  had  gotten  beyond  the  danger- 
line,  there  was  a  demonstration  of  gratitude  akin  to  enthusiasm,  both 
among  the  passengers  and  boatmen,  which  was  not  easily  controlled. 
On  entering  the  historic  town  the  beauties  and  charms  of  its  external 
appearance,  which  are  so  very  attractive  from  the  sea-view  are  entirely 
lost ;  and  the  stranger  finds  himself  in  a  most  repulsively  filthy  place, 
with  a  wild  looking  people,  of  all  complexions,  among  whom  ignorance 
is  dominant,  excepting  those  who  have  settled  there  from  countries  of 
progressive  civilization,  and  you  can  find  but  few  natives  who  have 
been  taught  to  appreciate  a  higher  state  of  manhood.  There  are  no 
supposed  antique  sights  to  be  seen  in  the  town,  except  the  traditional 
house  of  "  Simon  the  Tanner."  This  house,  which  is  evidently  several 
centuries  old,  is  used  both  for  a  mosque  and  lighthouse.  How  signifi- 
cant, if  this  is  the  site  where  St.  Peter  slept  and  was  so  illuminated 
by  a  mysterious  and  ponderous  revelation  from  God,  that  his  prejudice 


44  THE  LAND  OF   PKOMISE. 

against  preaching  to  the  Gentiles  was  immediately  dispelled  ;  and  the 
same  house  should  be  used  as  a  signal-lighthouse,  to  guide  seamen 
safely  along  a  most  dangerous  coast.  Within  its  walls  the  adoring 
multitude  assembles  daily  to  worship  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Moslems. 

Yet  may  we  not  feel  assured  that  God,  who  showed  the  Apostle 
Peter  the  right  way  on  the  house-top  of  "  Simon,"  will  change  those 
followers  of  Mohammed  so  that  they  will  see  and  follow  the  "  old 
path?"  It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  a  single  revelation  from  God 
thoroughly  convinced  Peter  that  all  people  were  alike  according  to  His 
mercies  and  grace,  and  that  they  should  not  be  considered  unworthy 
of  social  and  religious  society  because  they  belonged  to  another  race. 

Yet  all  the  pointed  revelations  the  Holy  Bible  contains  cannot  per- 
suade many  of  those  professing  to  be  Christians,  that  the  color  of  a 
man  does  not  form  a  part  of  his  manhood  nor  render  him  inferior  to 
the  whitest  of  the  whites  ;  still  they  declare  by  their  conduct  that  those 
of  the  despised  race  are  common  and  unclean,  although  God  has 
cleansed  them. 

Notwithstanding  there  is  but  one  traditional  place  in  Joppa  of 
Bible  distinction,  there  is  much  to  be  seen  that  will  greatly  interest 
visitors,  especially  those  who  have  not  been  made  acquainted  with 
oriental  life.  The  streets,  like  those  in  all  the  cities  of  Palestine  and 
Syria,  are  crooked,  narrow,  and  by  no  means  inviting,  neither  in 
appearance  nor  condition.  Many  of  these  passes  are  so  narrow  that  a 
person  can  stand  in  the  centre  and  stretch  his  arms  so  as  to  touch  the 
houses  on  either  side.  These  streets,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  are 
so  narrow  that  no  vehicle  can  pass  through  them. 

There  are  a  few  carriages  in  Joppa,  which  are  used  almost  exclu- 
sively for  conveying  tourists  up  to  Jerusalem  and  north  as  far  as  Haifa 
and  Shechem.  Men,  camels,  and  donkeys  are  the  burden-bearers. 
They  can  be  seen  from  early  morning  until  late  in  the  evening,  ladened 
with  merchandise.  Many  of  the  men  carry  enough  on  their  backs  to 
break  down  two  of  our  common  laborers.  Sometimes  the  poor,  ha  f- 
starved  camels  are  so  greatly  overloaded  they  fall,  and  refuse  to  move 
until  delivered  from  it. 

There  are  several  things  connected  with  the  history  of  Joppa, 
which  make  it  one  of  the  most  memorable  places  in  the  world.  It 
has  a  part  of  the  territory  allotted  to  the  tribe  of  Dan.  Its  surround- 
ing country  is  rich  and  highly  productive.  And  hither  came  thousands 
of  brave,  earnest,  and  devout  defenders  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  in  the 
days  of  the  prolonged  conflict  between  the  crusaders  and  bloodthirsty 
infidels  (see  Josh.  xix.  46 ;  1st  Kings  v.  2  ;  2d  Chron.  ii.  16). 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  45 

One  of  the  most  inviting  places  to  visit  about  Joppa  is  the  "  Orange 
Ch'oves,"  which  are  close  to  the  town  ;  they  are  several  miles  in  circum- 
ference ;  the  fruit  is  delicious  and  healthy.  Strangers  are  recommended 
to  eat  them  when  thirsty,  instead  of  drinking  the  water,  which  is  very 
unhealthy.  Many  times  the  trees  yield  so  abundantly,  great  caution 
must  be  taken  to  keep  them  from  breaking.  Other  fruit,  such  as 
lemons,  pomegranates,  watermelons,  and  figs  are  very  productive.  The 
orchards  are  generally  enclosed  by  high  cactus  hedges,  w^hich  protect 
the  grove  from  public  intrusion  far  more  securely  than  our  wooden  or 
stone  fences  in  this  country.  It  is  estimated  that  not  less  than  three 
thousand  orchards  are  located  within  the  vicinity  of  Joj^pa.  Oranges 
are  so  plentiful^  in  their  season,  they  can  be  bought  on  the  streets  for 
three  cents  a  dozen. 

It  should  be  stated  concerning  the  American  Colony  at  Joppa  they 
are  doing  well,  and  have  done  much  to  change  the  habits  of  many  of  the 
natives,  who,  at  the  time  they  landed,  were  not  far  above  the  average 
heathen  :  they  have  built  a  commodious  little  village  to  themselves  in 
the  most  healthy  section  of  the  town,  and  have  organized  a  church  and 
school,  which  has  done  an  incalcuable  amount  of  good. 

They  have  found  it,  however,  to  be  an  up-hill  journey  from  the 
time  they  entered  upon  the  work  until  the  present ;  they  find  the  only 
road  to  success  is  to  teach  and  impress  the  children ;  this  they  are  doing 
with  much  promise  of  good  results. 

Joppa  is  still  the  landing  port  of  tourists  and  pilgrims  who  are 
going  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  the  latter  swarm  there  by  thousands  each  year 
to  visit  the  Holy  places  through  Palestine  on  the  occasion  of  the  great 
Eastern  festivals,  and  devoutly  worship  at  their  shrines;  the  devotees 
are  of  all  conditions,  rich  and  poor,  old  and  young.  Old  men  and 
women  bending  under  the  burden  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  are 
seen  wending  their  way  from  place  to  place  leaning  heavily  upon  their 
staffs,  while  young  men  and  maidens  speed  their  way  with  nimble  steps 
and  light  hearts,  because  they  have  been  permitted  to  worship  on  the 
"  Holy  Hill  of  Zion."  These  singular  people,  both  in  dress  and  cus- 
toms, impress  one  who  is  not  acquainted  with  oriental  habits,  espe- 
cially as  to  the  attraction  of  their  costume ;  some  of  them  are  attired 
in  rich  and  costly  dress,  while  others  are  almost  bare,  yet  all  go  there 
for  the  same  purpose,  that  is  to  worship  and  follow  the  walks  of  our 
Lord,  to  drop  a  tear  where  He  shed  drops  of  blood  ;  to  weep  where  He 
wept,  and  to  kiss  the  shrine  which,  according  to  tradition,  marks  the 
site  where  in  deep  and  overpowering  agony,  "  He  gave  up  the  ghost." 

The  pilgrims  make  a  visit  through  Palestine,  in  compliance  with  a 


46  THE  LAND  OF  PROxMISE. 

rule  taught  aud  impressed  upon  them  in  their  church ;  and  not  simply 
to  see  the  country  aud  walk  ujdou  the  soil  made  hallowed  by  the  feet 
of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

The  Greek  Church  rule  enjoins  the  duty  upon  all  its  followers,  even 
at  a  great  sacrifice,  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  at  least  once  in 
their  life  ;  therefore  parents  are  so  anxious  to  conform  to  this  rule ; 
thousands  take  their  children  with  them,  so  as  to  be  sure  the  law  has  been 
fulfilled,  and  will  spend  all  they  have  to  make  the  trip  which  is  regarded 
as  a  most  sacred  undertaking. 

During  my  visit  to  Palestine  and  Syria,  the  pilgrims  were  coming 
into  Jerusalem  to  make  ready  for  the  great  festivals,  and  hundreds  had 
gathered  there  as  early  as  the  last  of  January,  which  gave  them  time 
to  visit  all  the  sacred  places  round  and  about  the  "  Holy  City,"  includ- 
ing all  those  as  far  as  Bethlehem  and  the  Pools  of  Solomon,  before  the 
time  of  the  eastern  feast.  Many  of  the  Pilgrims  come  from  Egypt, 
from  all  parts  of  Syria,  Armenia,  Asia  Minor,  from  Roumelia,  Stam- 
boul,  and  from  all  parts  of  the  East.  The  length  of  time  the  journey 
requires  and  the  great  sacrifice  of  means  necessary  to  the  trip,  are 
but  little  concern  to  them  in  comparison  to  the  unbounded  happiness 
they  enjoy  the  remainder  of  their  lives  from  the  benefits  the  pilgrimage 
gives  them. 

Many  of  them  feel,  when  they  have  passed  through  the  gates  into 
the  great  city,  that  they  have  entered  tlie  very  ante-chamber  of  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.  In  order  that  they  may  be  able  to  sustain  them- 
selves the  poorer  classes  usually  take  with  them  a  number  of  very 
choice  articles  which  are  anxiously  sought  by  the  merchants  and  ven- 
dors ;  these  are  readily  sold  at  a  reasonable  price  to  defray  the  expenses 
necessary  to  the  completion  of  their  pilgrimage. 

The  great  masses  come  by  sea  to  Joppa,  and  travel  up  to  Jerusalem 
as  best  they  can ;  those  who  can  aflford  it  ride  up  to  the  gi'eat  city  on 
donkeys  or  camels,  or  in  vehicles  or  by  I'ailway ;  but  thousands  walk 
for  the  sake  of  economy,  especially  when  they  arrive  early,  having 
plenty  of  time  before  them  to  make  the  tour  to  the  various  traditional 
sites  between  the  two  great  historic  cities,  at  all  of  which  they  devoutly 
worship. 

The  vessels  used  to  transport  them  are  generally  Greek  brigs  and 
schooners ;  tlie  people  are  usually  crowded  in  them  almost  to  suflbca- 
tion,  so  that  their  situation  would  be  a  striking  reminder  of  the  way 
the  slave-traders  used  to  pack  away  the  poor  Africans  during  the 
existence  of  American  slavery;  but  with  those  pilgrims  it  is  a  matter 
of  choice,  they  travel  so  for  the  sake  of  cheapness.    A  number  of  fami- 


FEOM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  47 

lies  usually  charter  a  boat  and  put  as  many  in  it  as  possible,  each 
taking  their  own  provision,  which  is  generally  very  poor  and  of  the 
most  common  kind.  At  times  the  voyage  is  very  rough,  causing  much 
suflering  amongst  them,  and  even  death ;  but  in  the  face  of  peril  they 
go,  willing  to  endure  the  customary  hardships  rather  than  abandon 
their  visit  to  Jerusalem  that  they  may  kiss  the  shrines  so  peculiar  to 
the  memory  of  the  civilized  world. 

When  they  first  land  at  Joppa  it  is  their  custom  to  assemble  on  the 
shore  and  sing  a  hymn  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for  conducting  them 
safely  over  the  deep  sea  ;  when  this  is  done  they  arrange  for  their 
journey  to  Jerusalem  ;  as  soon  as  they  get  there  they  make  their  way 
to  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  where 
they  display  and  sell  their  goods.  The  traders  know  about  the  time 
they  will  be  in  the  city,  and  are  found  waiting  for  them,  so  that  they 
may  be  the  first  to  procure  their  goods. 

The  busy  people  buying  and  selling  in  the  usual  boisterous  man- 
ner, characteristic  of  oriental  life,  make  the  place  more  like  a  busy 
market  than  the  entrance  to  the  church,  which,  tradition  says,  stands 
upon  the  sacred  hill  of  calvary  and  over  the  place  where  our  Lord 
lay. 

The  Jewish  money-changer  lurks  about  ready  to  make  what  he 
can,  and  the  vendors  solicit  all  who  pass  them  to  examine  the  goods 
they  have  for  sale. 

The  antique  sights  being  few  in  Joppa,  it  is  not  the  custom  for 
travelers  to  remain  there  more  than  three  or  four  hours  before  they 
start  up  to  the  "  Holy  City."  In  a  few  moments  after  passing  the 
Orange  Orchards,  the  plain  of  Sharon  is  entered  ;  it  is  both  extensive 
and  picturesque,  extending  many  miles ;  the  soil  is  rich  and  fruitful, 
and  would  be  much  more  so  if  the  husbandmen  knew  how  to  improve 
it  properly. 

There  is  only  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  plain  cultivated  ; 
the  greater  part  is  used  for  pasturage,  in  which  thousands  of  cattle 
feed  every  day.  In  the  proper  season  a  great  profusion  of  flowers 
appear  throughout  the  whole  region,  shooting  up  amidst  the  green 
grass.  These  flowers  begin  to  bloom  about  the  middle  of  January, 
and  continue  until  the  whole  plain  appears  like  a  vast  garden  of  varie- 
gated flowers.  The  lilies,  because  of  their  loveliness,  produce  the 
greatest  attraction,  and  are  so  very  numerous  they  often  interfere  with 
cultivation,  and  cause  the  crops  to  be  very  poor. 

Those  whose  object  is  to  obtain  a  more  elaborate  knowledge  of 
Bible  History  should  not  fail  to  read  the  scriptural  references  concern- 


48  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

iug  it  while  passing  through.  No  doubt  that  when  he  looks  at  the 
beautiful  rose  and  lily  he  will  call  to  mind  the  words,  "  I  am  the  Rose 
of  Sharon,  the  Lily  of  the  Valley  ; "  also  he  will  meditate  upon  the 
words,  "  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad,  and  the 
desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  a  rose.  It  shall  blossom  abundantly 
and  rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing ;  the  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  be 
given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and  Sharon." 

The  greatest  profusion  of  flowers  appear  during  April  and  May ; 
at  this  season  the  whole  plain  looks  like  a  vast  district  of  beautiful 
gardens,  from  which  is  emitted  such  delightful  odor  that  the  visitor  is 
loath  to  leave  it ;  we  feel  safe  within  the  limits  of  truth  in  saying  there 
is  no  place  in  the  world  where  nature  is  adorned  with  more  beauty 
than  is  seen  in  the  plain  of  Sharon. 

The  original  highway  pi'ominently  traveled  in  Solomon's  time 
passes  directly  through  the  plain,  and  it  is  particularly  interesting  to 
be  reminded,  although  natural  changes  have  been  made  as  to  its  con- 
dition, yet  it  is  the  same  ancient  route  that  has  been  traveled  for  thou- 
sands of  years,  and  was  traveled  during  the  transportation  of  the 
material  from  Lebanon  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Temple,  and  was  thronged 
with  thousands  of  busy  Pha3nicians  and  Hebrews,  who  were  employed 
to  carry  on  the  Avork. 

Of  late  a  new  road  has  been  completed,  much  of  which  is  made 
over  the  old  beaten  pass,  while  other  portions  run  close  to  it.  It  is 
also  highly  interesting  to  the  Christian  traveler,  going  on  his  way  to 
Jerusalem,  to  know  that  he  is  traveling  over  the  same  ground  over 
which  passed  many  of  the  ancient  worthies,  for  it  is  this  way  prophets 
and  apostles  used  to  travel  when  proceeding  on  their  mission. 

Doubtless  the  Prophet  Jonah  passed  over  this  same  "  Old  High- 
way "  when  enroute  to  Joppa,  to  embark  on  the  Tarsus-bound  vessel ; 
Peter  came  over  it  when  he  was  called  from  Lydda  to  restore  Tabitha 
to  life ;  it  is  also  the  same  route  traveled  by  King  Hiram  of  Tyre, 
Hiram  Abiff",  and  King  Solomon. 

These  and  thousands  more  passed  along  this  way,  and  as  they 
crossed  the  flowery  plain  of  Sharon,  beholding  its  loveliness  and  drink- 
ing copious  draughts  of  its  balmy  odor,  it  is  probable  the  Apostles 
were  reminded  of  the  words  of  our  Lord  as  their  feet  pressed  the  soil 
of  this  plain,  "  Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field  how  they  grow."  There 
are  several  places  of  historic  distinction  well  worthy  of  a  visit  between 
Joppa  and  Jerusalem,  and  those  who  go  up  on  horseback  have  an 
opportunity  to  stop  at  each  one  of  them  ;  it  is  only  needful,  however, 
to  pass  in  sight  of  the  most  of  them,  as  many  clouds  of  doubt  cluster 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  49 

about  the  majority.  There  are  several  places  whose  history  is  so  clear 
not  a  shadow  of  doubt  hangs  about  them.  Lydda,  known  in  ancient 
times  as  "  Ludd,"  is  positively  identified.  It  is  southeast  of  Joppa, 
about  eleven  miles  and  a  half,  and  is  situated  close  to  the  eastern  edge 
of  the  plain  of  Sharon.  During  the  time  of  Greek  supremacy  in 
Palestine  its  name  was  changed  to  Diapolis,  "  City  of  Jupiter."  But 
the  original  name  was  again  adopted,  which  has  been  retained  through 
all  the  painful  ordeals  of  warfare  and  disaster  through  which  it  has 
passed. 

The  most  important  event  which  transpired  here,  of  which  the  Bible 
makes  mention,  is  the  visit  of  the  Apostle  Peter ;  he  came  to  Lydda  to 
visit  the  saints,  and  found  a  certain  man  by  the  name  of  ^neas  who 
had  kept  his  bed  eight  years,  being  seized  with  the  palsy.  When 
Peter  came  to  his  couch  he  looked  upon  him  and  said  to  the  poor  sick 
man,  "  ^neas,  Jesus  Christ  maketh  thee  whole,  arise  and  make  thy 
bed,"  and  he  immediately  arose. 

The  most  important  attraction  in  Lydda  is  the  Greek  Church,  ded- 
icated to  St.  George,  who  according  to  tradition,  was  born  and  buried 
there.  The  church,  which  is  handsomely  embellished  inside  strictly 
according  to  Greek  taste,  is  visited  annually  by  hundreds  of  pilgrims, 
who  pass  up  through  that  way  enroute  to  Jerusalem. 

In  connection  with  the  tomb  of  St.  George,  which  is  inside  the 
church,  under  the  high  altar,  there  are  man)'  other  old  relics  sacredly 
kept,  all  of  which  are  carefully  guarded  by  the  officials.  Lydda  was 
a  prosperous  city  at  the  time  of  the  occupancy  of  the  Israelites,  and 
was  inhabited  by  the  Benjamites  after  the  captivity.  In  the  time  of 
Cassius,  after  the  death  of  Julius  Csesar,  the  whole  inhabitants  were 
sold  into  slavery  ;  this  caused  great  depression  and  suffering,  as  is  nat- 
ural in  such  cases. 

The  earliest  calendar  relates  that  St.  George  was  born  at  Lydda  • 
that  he  suffered  martyrdom  in  Nicomedeia,  under  Diocletian,  near  the 
close  of  the  third  century,  and  that  his  body  was  conveyed  to  his  native 
town,  where  a  church  was  erected  to  his  honor.  (Murray's  Hand-book.) 
It  is  said  the  building  was  very  much  injured  by  the  Crusaders  when 
they  entered  Lydda,  and  the  revengeful  Moslems  demolished  it,  but 
because  of  the  high  veneration  they  entertained  for  St.  George,  they 
did  not  interfere  with  his  tomb.  The  church  was  rebuilt,  but  in  less 
than  a  century  the  whole  town,  with  the  church,  was  destroyed  by  Sa- 
ladin  ;  but  the  ambitious  people  determined  to  rebuild  it,  and  suc- 
ceeded.    (Ezra  ii.  33.)     It  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long. 

Fi'om  Lydda  to  Ramleh  is  two  miles  and  a  half.     At  this  place  the 
4 


50  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

main  road  to  Jerusalem  is  joined.  The  English  interpretation  of  Ram- 
leh  is  sandy,  and  it  will  be  at  once  conceded  that  the  village  is  not 
mis-named.  Several  writers  have  attempted  to  associate  this  place 
with  Arimatha?a,  the  home  of  Joseph,  who  took  charge  of  the  body  of 
our  Lord  after  his  crucifixion,  and  laid  it  in  the  tomb  in  which  no  one 
had  been  placed. 

But  the  evidences  to  the  contrary  make  the  truth  of  its  having 
such  a  connection  very  doubtful.  There  is  a  Franciscan  convent  not 
far  from  the  town  which  tradition  locates  on  the  site  where  the  house 
in  which  Nicodemus  lived  stood.  But  there  is  no  historical  foundation 
to  sustain  it.  The  thing  of  greatest  interest,  and  for  Avhich  Ramleh  is 
noted,  is  the  great  tower,  now  much  dilapidated,  situated  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  main  road  ;  it  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  and 
is  ascended  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  much-worn  stone  steps  ;  it  is 
called  by  the  Arabs,  "  The  Tower  of  the  Forty,"  in  honor  of  the  forty 
companions  of  the  prophet,  and  is  said  to  be  the  minaret  of  a  ruined 
mosque.  A  most  delightful  view  may  be  had  which  will  doubly  pay 
one  for  the  fatigue  of  the  ascent.  All  the  plain  of  Sharon,  from  the 
great  mountains  of  Judea  and  Samaria,  even  to  the  Mediterranean, 
and  as  far  as  the  base  of  Mt.  Carmel  and  the  deserts  of  Philistia,  is 
spread  out  like  a  vast  panoi'ama.  Ashdod,  Askelon,  Gath,  Gaza  and 
Csesarea  are  plainly  seen. 

I  remember  so  well  the  day  I  ascended  the  tower ;  I  was  the  last 
man  up,  but  in  reality  the  first  man  down.  While  standing  on  the 
time-worn  tower  we  saw,  in  connection  with  the  places  already  named, 
Mt.  Hermon's  snowy  top,  and  the  Lebanon  range  on  the  north  ;  the 
Valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the  mountains  of  Moab  on  the  east.  The 
view  is  transporting,  and  the  objects  are  distinctly  seen  through  good 
field-glasses.  There  are  but  few  visitors  who  will  dare  venture  to  the 
top,  because  of  its  dangerous  condition  ;  the  whole  structure  is  cracked 
from  top  to  bottom  ;  one  portion  of  it  has  fallen,  and  it  will  be  only  a 
short  time  before  the  whole  tower  must  be  considered  among  the  things 
of  the  past. 

The  junction  of  the  ancient  highways,  from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem, 
and  from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  which  crosses  near  the  old  Tower  of  the 
Forty,  caused  Ramleh  to  be  a  town  of  considerable  importance ;  there 
is  an  old  tradition  which  says  Joseph  took  this  route  when,  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  command  given  him  by  the  angel,  he  fled  from  the  wrath 
of  Herod,  with  "  the  young  child  and  his  mother,"  into  Egypt.  This 
is  not  generally  credited,  as  it  is  more  than  likely  he  took  the  road  that 
Joseph,  the  son  of  Jacob,  traveled  on  his  return  to  Hebron  with  the 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  51 

remains  of  his  father.  This  seems  more  likely,  as  it  is  a  much  shorter 
route,  and  a  person  fleeing  from  danger  would  be  apt  to  take  the 
shortest  and  most  direct  road  to  the  place  of  refuge. 

The  valley  of  Ajalon  is  crossed  a  few  miles  from  Ramleh  ;  the  road 
leads  through  the  most  important  part,  which  has,  from  the  time  of 
Joshua,  been  memorable  because  of  the  wonderful  victory  he  achieved 
there.    (Josh.  x.  12.) 

In  crossing  the  valley,  going  to  Jerusalem,  the  two  Beth-horons  are 
on  the  left,  and  the  lofty  hills  down  which  Joshua's  army  pursued  the 
retreating  enemy  are  plainly  seen.  Gibeon  is  to  the  east,  behind  a 
high  ridge  of  stones ;  it  has  a  historical  connection  with  Beth-horon  in 
the  victory  so  gloriously  won  by  the  Israelites  ;  for  over  the  former 
the  sun,  in  answer  to  Joshua's  prayer,  stood  still,  and  the  moon  also 
over  the  Valley  of  Ajalon. 

ISRAEL'S  FIRST  DEFEAT  AT  AI. 

After  the  capture  and  destruction  of  Jericho,  it  became  necessary 
for  Israel  to  go  up  against  Ai  and  subdue  it ;  for  until  this  royal  city 
of  the  Canaauites  was  taken,  Joshua  and  his  people  must  remain 
hemmed  up  in  the  extreme  eastern  confines  of  Palestine,  and  in  danger 
of  being  destroyed  by  the  combined  forces  of  the  several  independent 
governments  prominently  known  in  the  land. 

Just  as  the  ladder  of  Tyre  was  the  key  to  Palestine,  so  Ai  was  to 
the  passage  of  the  Israelites  to  the  northern  country ;  there  were  only 
two  convenient  highways  by  which  they  could  travel  with  their  jjosses- 
sions  to  Shechem,  where,  according  to  the  command  of  Moses,  they 
were  compelled  to  go  and  renew  their  covenant  in  recognition  of  the 
blessing  God  had  given  them.  One  of  these  highways  runs  S(.uthwest 
from  Jericho  by  the  way  of  Bethany  and  Jerusalem,  now  known  as  the 
bloody  pass ;  the  other  leads  to  the  northwest  up  to  Bethel ;  this  was 
the  more  direct  and  pleasant  way  for  those  going  north,  halting  at 
Jerusalem.  But  to  take  either  road  they  would  have  come  within  a 
short  distance  of  Ai.  The  spies  whom  Joshua  sent  to  investigate  the 
situation  and  condition  of  this  fortified  stronghold  of  the  Canaanites, 
returned  full  of  confidence  that  it  would  be  easy  to  conquer,  and  that 
it  was  only  necessary  to  send  up  two  or  three  thousand  men  to  take  it ; 
but  they  failed  in  their  first  attempt,  for  the  men  of  Ai  rose  up  against 
Israel  in  their  strength  and  put  the  three  thousand  chosen  men  to  flight, 
thirty-six  of  whom  were  slain. 

This  defeat  astonished  Israel  and  caused  Joshua  to  weep  bitterly  ; 


52  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

be  solemnly  took  the  case  to  God  and  was  informed  that  it  was  a 
rebuke  for  a  breach  by  one  of  his  men,  who  had  secretly  hid  some  of 
the  spoils  of  Jericho.  When  Joshua  Avas  thus  informed  he  caused  an 
investigation  to  be  made,  that  the  man  guilty  of  the  crime  might  be 
detected,  and  it  was  found  to  be  Achan  ;  he  confessed  his  sin  and  was 
stoned  to  death. 

The  confidence  of  the  people  having  been  restored,  Joshua  went  up 
again  to  smite  Ai ;  in  this  undertaking  he  worked  cunningly  and  suc- 
cessfully ;  he  caused  a  large  body  of  men  to  lay  in  ambush,  and  sent 
another  number  over  in  front  of  the  city  ;  then  withdrew,  and  halted 
in  the  valley  toward  Jericho.  The  men  of  Ai,  feeling  confident  that  the 
hosts  of  Israel  had  weakened,  left  the  city  in  pursuit  of  them.  At  that 
auspicious  moment  those  in  ambush  sprang  from  their  hiding,  entered 
the  city,  burned  it,  and  then  went  with  all  possible  haste  after  the  men 
who  were  pursuing  Joshua.  At  the  same  time  that  portion  of  the  flee- 
ing army  turned  on  their  pursuers  and  hemmed  them  completely  in. 
Caught  as  the  men  of  Ai  were  between  the  two  forces,  they  were  seized 
with  wild  confusion,  and  were  soon  captured  and  cut  to  pieces.  The 
whole  of  the  inhabitants — twelve  thousand  in  number — perished,  and 
their  city  burned  to  the  ground  ;  the  king  also  was  taken  captive,  put 
to  death  with  the  sword,  and  his  dead  body  hanged  on  a  tree  until  eve- 
ning, then  taken  down  and  buried  at  the  gate  under  a  heap  of  stones. 

The  main  camping  ground  of  the  Israelites  was  at  Gilgal,  as  usual, 
after  the  destruction  of  Ai ;  but  they  had  obtained  an  unmolested 
sway  of  the  highway  to  the  north  (Josh.,  vii-viii  chaps.).  There  was 
a  short  period  of  rest  given  the  Hebrews  after  they  had  captured  Ai. 
They  returned  to  their  camp  at  Gilgal,  and  offered  their  usual  tribute 
of  thanks,  and  were  jubilant  over  their  triumphant  conquest. 

During  their  respite,  Joshua  and  the  Israelites  went  up  to  Shechem 
as  directed  by  Moses,  where  they  were  to  be  further  impressed  as  to 
the  merits  of  the  law  of  God.  Joshua  copied  it  on  an  altar  of  stones, 
which  was  erected  on  Mount  Ebal,  and  caused  the  whole  people  who 
stood  in  the  valley  to  repeat  the  blessings  and  cursings  it  contained. 

Having  returned  to  Gilgal  to  their  camp  after  a  long  and  fatigu- 
ing travel  from  Shechem,  they  were  visited  by  a  company  of  strangers, 
who  practiced  a  cunning  scheme  upon  them  which  was  difficult  to  con- 
ceive. The  people  of  Gibeon,  one  of  the  most  important  towns  between 
Beth-horon  and  Jerusalem,  and  said  to  be  the  chief  city  of  the  several 
towns  laying  between  Jerusalem  and  Bethel,  like  all  other  chief  cities, 
had  many  foes  who  would,  upon  the  least  provocation,  declare  war 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  53 

against  it.  The  inhabitants  were  interesting,  industrious,  and  cunning. 
Any  one  who  has  read  their  history  will  at  once  concede  that  they  were 
a  crafty  and  sagacious  people.  These  Gibeonites  outwitted  Joshua,  as 
completely  and  successfully  as  he  did  the  men  of  Ai,  and  at  the  same 
time  used  no  violence  in  doing  so. 

The  most  of  our  readers  will  call  to  mind  how  the  people  of  Gibeon, 
Beeroth,  Kirjath-Jearim,  and  Chephirah  planned  a  scheme  which 
formed  a  binding  alliance  between  Joshua  and  them.  Gibeon  was 
only  three  days'  travel  from  Gilgal,  going  at  a  very  slow  rate ;  for,  as 
we  shall  see,  the  whole  journey  was  made  afterwards  in  one  day's  rapid 
march.  The  movements  of  Joshua  were  known  to  this  people,  the  fall 
of  Jericho  and  Ai  was  fresh  in  their  minds ,  and  fearing  they  would 
meet  the  same  fate,  they  went  down  to  the  camp  at  Gilgal,  taking  with 
them  old  mouldy  bread  and  torn  wine  skins,  and  old  clothes,  and  worn- 
out  shoes,  representing  to  the  Israelites  that  they  had  come  from  a 
far  country  and  desired  to  become  servants  of  the  God  who  pi-otected 
Joshua  and  his  people. 

The  thing  seemed  good  in  the  eyes  of  Joshua  and  all  Israel,  so  they 
formed  a  league  of  friendship  and  mutual  protection.  It  was  but  a 
short  time  before  the  scheme  was  developed,  but  Joshua  could  not 
severely  punish  them,  having  allied  himself  in  lasting  friendship  with 
them  ;  but,  as  a  stern  rebuke  for  their  deception,  they  were  reduced  to 
the  humble  rank  of  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water,  which 
occupation  they  followed  under  Israel  for  many  years   (Josh.  ix.  1-27). 

The  dwellers  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  who  were  composed  of  many 
tribes,  had  developed  into  several  independent  states,  each  having  a 
chief  or  capital  city,  in  Avhich  lived  their  chief,  who  was  generally 
acknowledged  as  king  ;  the  territory  over  which  the  chief  ruler  pre- 
sided, was  but  a  small  district ;  many  of  them  did  not  cover  as  many 
miles  as  some  of  the  large  cities  in  our  countiy.  For  the  most  part 
these  states  were  hostile  to  each  other,  and  had  bitter  and  bloody  con- 
tests, striving  for  supremacy,  just  as  the  people  of  Italy  did  before  the 
states  consolidated. 

Some  of  these  governments  were  monarchies,  and  others  republican 
in  form.  The  five  cities  or  towns  represented  by  the  Gibeonites,  who 
made  a  visit  to  Joshua  at  Gilgal,  were  not  far  from  each  other ;  the 
remotest  is  not  more  than  ten  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  and  were 
nearly  surrounded  by  important  tribes,  whose  war-like  character  had 
won  for  them  wide  spread  fame.  Those  people  who  lived  in  the  chief 
cities  south-east  and  south  of  Gibeon  were  the  most  important. 

When  the  new^s  of  the  fall  of  Jericho  and  the  capture  of  Ai  spread 


54  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

abroad,  great  dread  fell  upon  the  people  previously  inhabiting  the 
land.  They  found  it  was  necessary  to  form  combinations  of  forces, 
who  had  hitherto  been  independent  of  and  hostile  to  each  other,  if 
they  would  retain  the  rulership  of  the  country.  To  accomplish  this 
end,  the  five  kings  of  the  Amorites  living  south  of  Gibeon  combined 
to  capture  it. 

These  kings  ruled  over  the  following  districts  :  Jerusalem,  Hebron, 
Jarmuth,  Lachish,  and  Eglon.  These  kings  having  combined  their 
forces  to  overthrow  Gibeon,  caused  great  alarm  amongst  the  Gibeonites, 
for  they  felt  themselves  incompetent  to  withstand  them.  They,  having 
formed  a  league  with  Joshua,  sent  in  haste  to  him  to  come  up  to  their 
rescue.  The  commander  of  the  forces  of  Israel  felt  himself  bound 
to  answer  the  summons,  and  started  at  once  for  the  scene  of  trouble. 

The  kings  forming  the  confederacy  were  greatly  exercised  over  the 
alliance  of  the  Gibeonites  with  Joshua,  and  attempted  to  sternly  rebuke 
them.  To  accomplish  their  purpose  the  five  kings,  having  armed 
themselves,  drew  their  forces  up  before  Gibeon.  The  latter,  finding 
they  were  not  able  to  cope  with  this  formidable  confederacy,  became 
greatly  alarmed  ;  they  at  once  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Gilgal,  who 
informed  Joshua,  and  said  to  him,  "  Slack  not  thy  hand  from  thy  ser- 
vants ;  come  up  to  us  quickly  and  save  us,  for  all  the  kings  of  the 
Amorites  that  dwell  in  the  mountain  are  gathered  together  against  us." 

Joshua  responded  immediately  to  the  summons,  and  went  up  in 
great  haste  to  their  help.  The  confederate  kings  had  no  expectation 
of  seeing  the  army  of  Israel  on  the  scene  so  soon,  and  when  they 
beheld  them  in  the  early  morning  fearful  alarm  seized  them,  for  they 
trembled  even  at  the  name  of  the  "  Lord's  Host,"  before  whom  the 
nations  of  the  earth  fell  like  grass  that  is  cut  down.  The  whole  con- 
federacy soon  became  disorganized,  and  were  ready  to  flee  before 
Joshua  had  struck  a  blow.  When  the  attack  was  made  the  Amorites 
made  no  vigorous  defence,  but  fled  in  great  confusion  from  Gibeon, 
and  endeavored  to  escape  down  the  steep  rocky  pass  leading  fx*om  Beth- 
horon  into  the  valley  of  Ajalon,  but  were  pursued  by  the  Lord's  host 
and  slain  in  great,  numbers.  The  dismayed  confederacy  was  hotly 
chased  along  the  way  leading  to  Beth-horon,  and  in  this  wild  flight 
they  became  insanely  confused  and  suffered  great  loss,  as  the  following 
record  will  show :  "  And  it  came  to  pass  as  they  fled  before  Israel  and 
were  in  the  wiiy  going  toward  Beth-horon,  that  the  Lord  cast  down 
great  stones  from  heaven  upon  them  unto  Azekah,  and  they  died." 
There  were  more  who  died  of  the  hailstones  than  were  slain  with  the 
sword  by  Israel." 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  55 

The  Amorites  in  fleeing  from  the  advancing  Israelites  were  mak- 
ing their  way  to  the  valley  in  front  of  them,  and  in  doing  so  they  nuist 
descend  about  four  hundred  feet  of  a  most  diflicult  and  steep  moun- 
tain pass  ;  the  refugees  being  panic-stricken,  they  rushed  unguardedly 
down  the  mountain  without  considering  the  danger  into  which  they 
were  rushing.  The  gathering  clouds  which  had  spread  over  them  were 
charged  with  showers  of  God's  indignation  against  them,  which  was 
about  to  be  discharged  with  intense  fury. 

This  was  evidently  a  miraculous  demonstration  of  the  displeasure 
of  the  Almighty  against  the  confederates,  for  the  Israelites  were  not 
injured  by  them.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  fugitive  army  must 
have  been  far  in  advance  of  them,  as  they  were  dwellers  of  the  moun- 
tains and  could  much  more  readily  speed  their  way  down  the  rough 
pass  than  the  Hebrews,  who  were  strangers  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
condition  of  the  pass  (Josh,  x.),  and  could  not  descend  with  the  speed 
of  the  fugitives.  As  the  day  advanced,  and  the  enemy  was  still 
retreating,  Joshua,  the  man  of  God,  became  anxious  to  finish  the  com- 
bat and  achieve  the  victory  before  night  had  settled  upon  them.  He 
and  his  people  were  in  a  strange  part  of  the  land,  and  having  been 
sent  for  to  come  up  at  once  with  all  possible  speed,  he  had  not  the 
opportunity  to  follow  their  usual  custom  of  sending  spies  to  ascertain 
the  situation  of  the  country,  as  had  been  done  before  they  crossed  the 
Jordan,  or  went  against  Ai. 

It  would,  therefore,  have  been  impossible  for  the  Israelites  to  have 
pursued  their  enemy  after  nightfall,  and  even  to  go  into  camp  would 
have  been  a  dangerous  risk,  as  the  fleeing  enemy  could  have  had  great 
advantage,  which  would  have  put  them  to  much  perplexity.  The 
occasion  was  so  momentous  and  anxious  Joshua  was  deeply  moved 
with  interest  for  the  safety  of  Israel  and  the  triumph  of  the  Lord,  on 
this  account ;  he  uttered  that  wonderfully  strange  and  sublime  prayer, 
which  seemed  to  have  the  bearing  of  a  command  ;  he  wished  the  rap- 
idly retiring  sun  to  halt  and  the  moon  to  stay  its  coming  upward  until 
the  army  of  the  Lord  had  completed  its  victory. 

The  man  of  God  came  forth  in  the  name  and  strength  of  his  Lord, 
as  if  commander  of  the  solar  system  as  vvell  as  the  army  of  Israel,  and 
with  uplifted  hands,  one  doubtless  pointing  to  the  moon  and  the  other 
to  the  sun,  he  said,  "  Sun  stand  tliou  still  upon  Gibeon  and  thou  moon 
in  the  valley  of  Ajalon," 

In  compliance  with  Joshua's  prayer  the  Lord  checked  the  passage 
of  the  sun  and  moon,  "  and  the  sun  stayed  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  and 
hastened  not  to  go  down,  about  a  whole  day."     This  illustrious  answer 


56  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

to  the  commander's  prayer  must  have  filled  all  Israel  with  holy  enthu- 
siasm and  gave  them  a  fresh  impetus  for  the  combat. 

The  army  continued  a  vigorous  pursuit  after  the  fleeing  confederate 
kings,  who  were  making  a  rapid  retreat.  They  were  overtaken  and 
captured,  in  connection  with  two  important  towns,  on  the  border  of  the 
plain.  The  cave,  Makkedah,  where  the  capture  of  the  five  kings  took 
place,  was  on  the  eastern  margin  of  the  plain  of  Philistia,  to  the  south 
of  the  opening  of  the  plain  of  Ajalon.  The  five  kings  were  taken 
from  their  hiding-place,  and  the  chief  officers  of  Joshua's  command 
put  their  feet  on  their  necks,  as  was  the  usual  custom  in  that  country, 
as  a  signal  of  triumph. 

After  putting  them  to  death  they  were  hanged  upon  trees,  as  was 
also  the  King  of  Ai,  until  evening ;  they  were  then  taken  down  and 
placed  in  the  cave  from  which  they  were  captured,  for  the  law 
demanded  they  should  spare  nothing. 

Joshua  having  won  the  victory  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  and 
continued  his  conquests  from  Gibeon  to  the  desert  on  the  south,  cap- 
turing the  cities  of  Makkedah  and  Lebonah. 

Joshua  afterwards  had  another  tremendous  foe  to  face,  for  whom 
he  had  to  make  special  prayerful  preparations,  but  the  Lord  was  with 
him  and  fought  for  Israel. 

THE  NORTHERN  CONFEDERACY. 

The  battle  of  Beth-horon  did  not  cause  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan 
to  immediately  clo.-^e  all  hostile  opposition  to  the  Israelites,  and  acknowl- 
edge them  the  rightful  occupants  of  the  laud,  but  other  States  formed 
combinations  with  a  firm  purpose  of  exterminating  the  whole  army  of 
Joshua  at  a  single  blow.  There  was  great  alarm  among  the  people  up 
North  caused  by  the  sweeping  victory  Joshua  had  won  over  the  com- 
bined forces  of  the  South.  Therefore,  Jabin,  King  of  Hazor,  one  of 
the  most  important  cities  in  northern  Canaan,  sent  messengers  to  the 
several  kings  throughout  the  country  to  form  a  confederacy  against 
further  encroachments  of  the  great  leader  of  the  hosts  of  Israel.  He 
sent  for  them  to  prepare  themselves  to  join  him  to  confront  Joshua  and 
crush  his  army  at  once.  Jabin  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  great 
influence,  and  the  most  heroic  of  all  the  kings  of  the  North  in  his  day. 
When  this  great  man  issued  the  call,  the  rulers  united  with  him  from 
the  Trans-Lebanon  district  on  the  north  and  those  on  the  south.  The 
king  in  the  Arabah,  south  of  the  Sea  Tiberias,  and  in  the  low 'and  and 
on  the  heights  about  Dor,  near  the  sea  on  the  west,  and  from  Shimron, 
and  from  Achshaph,  and  those  from  the  hills  of  the  north.    The  Canaan- 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  57 

ites  living  on  the  eiist  of  Hazor,  and  those  on  the  west,  the  Amorites, 
the  Hittites,  the  Perizzites,  the  Jebusites,  from  the  regions  in  and  about 
Jerusalem,  the  Hivites  under  Hermon,  in  the  land  of  Mizpeh,  all  came 
up  in  response  to  the  call  of  Jabin  against  the  victorious  army  of  Joshua. 
They  made  the  strongest  and  most  guarded  preparations  for  the 
attack,  having  horses,  animals  greatly  dreaded  by  the  Israelites  in  war, 
and  heavy  chariots  with  knives  or  short  swords  fixed  to  their  wheels. 
The  captains  were  equal  to  the  duties  of  their  position,  and  the  military 
forces  were  well  trained.  This  great  confederacy  when  united  seemed 
to  be  a  countless  number,  and  in  every  way  stronger  and  better  pre- 
pared for  warfare  than  the  host  Joshua  put  to  flight  in  the  South.  This 
vast  army  of  well-drilled  and  carefully-armed  men  of  war  had  no  other 
expectation  than  they  would  mow  down  the  Hebrews  like  grass.  The 
army  of  Joshua  had  neither  horses  nor  war  chariots.  Jabin,  having 
collected  his  a' lies  and  their  forces,  marched  them  to  "the  waters  of 
Merom  to  fight  against  Israel."  This  lake  is  known  as  Huleh  ;  it  is 
about  four  miles  and  a  half  long,  and  three  and  a  half  wide,  and  eleven 
feet  deep  in  some  portions.  Lake  Merom  is  about  twelve  or  thirteen 
miles  north  of  the  sea  of  Tiberias.  It  is  called  waters  of  Merom  in 
the  Bible,  and  by  Josephus  Samo-chonitis.  Swamps  and  hedges  nearly 
surrounded  it,  in  which  the  water-fowls  find  safe  retreat.  No  doubt 
that  the  level  country  and  the  abundant  supply  of  water  induced  King 
Jabin  to  camp  the  vast  confederate  army  there.  It  necessarily  required 
level  ground  to  manage  the  horses  and  war  chariots  in  an  engagement, 
for  they  were  of  no  use  in  a  mountainous  region.  The  Israelites 
had  no  heavy  arms,  for  they  had  to  walk  from  one  battle-field  to 
another,  whether  far  or  near ;  and  it  may  be  they  feared  to  confront 
the  tremendous  confederacy.  But  God,  who  had  hitherto  fought  for 
them,  said  to  Joshua,  "  Be  not  afraid  because  of  them ;  for  to-morrow 
about  this  time  will  I  deliver  them  up  all  slain  before  Israel."  The 
account  given  of  this  victory  won  by  Joshua  is  short,  but  it  may  be 
inferred  the  panic  that  seized  the  consternated  confederacy  was  more 
exciting  than  that  encountered  by  the  hosts  of  Amorites  in  the  valley 
of  Ajalon.  Joshua  and  his  brave  men,  having  been  assured  by  the 
Lord  of  conquest,  used  their  previous  method  of  attack.  They  came 
down  suddenly  upon  the  confederates  and  completely  put  them  to 
flight,  leaving  their  horses  and  chariots  on  the  field,  and  according  to 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  Joshua  cut  the  ham-strings  of  their  hoises  and 
bui'nt  their  chariots.  For  the  Lord  said  "  Thou  shalt  hough  their 
horses  and  burn  their  chariots."  Notwithstanding  there  was  no  visible 
appearance  of  a  physical  phenomenon,  as  was  witnessed  at  Gibeon  and 


58  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

the  Valley  of  Ajalon,  this  great  victory  was  as  miraculous  as  the  one 
first  won  when  Joshua  went  up  against  the  southern  confederacy.  The 
all-powerful  hand  of  God  won  the  victory.  We  must  concede  the  fact 
that  nothing  short  of  the  interposition  of  the  Almighty's  arm  could 
have  won  the  battle  against  such  a  countless  host  of  well-armed  forces. 
There  seem  to  have  been  no  other  strong  combinations  formed  against 
the  children  of  Israel  during  the  life  of  Joshua. 

EL-JIB  OR  GIBEON. 

With  Gibeon  are  connected  many  other  important  events,  of  which 
mention  is  made  in  the  Bible.  This  city,  which  was  at  one  time  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  in  all  the  country,  stood  on  a  hill  about  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  valley,  very  pleasantly  situated,  ^nd  com- 
manded a  delightful  view  from  afar.  The  ancient  buildings,  of  which 
the  present  village  is  composed,  are  sparsely  situated  over  the  summit 
on  which  stood  the  original  city  when  robed  in  its  fullest  glory. 

There  is  a  large  building  yet  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  others 
appearing  like  a  giant  among  dwarfs;  this  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  citadel.  Gibeon,  according  to  the  Old  Testament,  was  one  of  the 
great  royal  cities  of  Palestine,  and  was  the  capital  of  those  towns  whose 
people  formed  an  alliance  with  Joshua.  When  the  land  was  divided 
among  the  tribes  Gibeon  fell  to  the  lot  of  Benjamin,  and  was  made  a 
strong  Levitical  city, 

The  Tabernacle  was  brought  here  after  the  destruction  of  Nob,  and 
the  great  altar  of  burnt  sacrifice  was  built,  and  continued  until  perma- 
nently removed  to  the  temple.  The  reservoir  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  hill  is  supposed  to  be  the  fountain  at  which  Abner  and  Joab  met 
with  the  armies  of  Judah  and  Israel,  and  witnessed  that  most  revolt- 
ing combat  between  the  twelve  men  on  each  side,  all  of  whom  fought 
until  they  died.  And  on  the  other  hill  it  is  thought  the  battle 
occurred  in  which  Abner  was  defeated  and  Asahel  put  to  death.  (Josh. 
X,  2  ;  ix.  17  ;   2  Sam  ii.) 

At  the  "stone  which  is  in  Gibeon,"  Amasa,  who  was  King  David's 
nephew,  was  drawn  into  a  net  by  the  treacherous  pretension  of  Joab, 
his  cousin,  whose  heart  was  full  of  murderous  intent.  Joab  said  to  his 
cousin,  "Art  thou  in  health,  my  brother?  "  and,  taking  hold  of  his 
beard  with  his  "right  hand,"  as  though  he  intended  "to  kiss  him,'' 
he  had  a  dart  of  death  concealed  with  which  he  smote  him  (Amasa) 
under  the  fifth  rib,  from  which  he  died.  There  is  a  large  stone  on  the 
side  of  the  pass  leading  over  to  Jerusalem,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the 
scene  of  this  most  dastardly  tragedy. 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  59 

But  the  day  of  retribution  came,  and  Joab  was  rewarded  for  both 
of  his  murderous  deeds ;  when  despair  overshadowed  him  he  ran  into 
the  Tabernacle  of  the  Lord  for  refuge,  and  even  took  "  hold  of  the 
horns  of  the  altar,"  but  was  pursued  by  Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada, 
who  fell  upon  him  by  order  of  Solomon  "  and  slew  him." 

Here  ended  the  life  of  one  of  the  most  treacherous  men  that  lived. 
It  was  at  Gibeon  that  King  Solomon  offered  up  a  thousand  burnt 
offerings,  and  had  the  vision  given  him  from  God,  urging  him  to  make 
a  choice  of  that  which  he  desired  most  in  life ;  in  compliance  to  which 
he  chose  wisdom  rather  than  honors,  riches  or  longevity. 

These  various  Bible  associations  which  cluster  about  Gibeon  have 
made  it  memorable  to  all  who  know  its  history,  so  that  travelers  to 
to  Jerusalem  are  almost  as  anxious  to  see  the  site  of  this  ancient  royal 
city  as  any  other  jilace  in  Palestine.  (See  2  Sam.  xx.  9-12  ;  Kings  ii. 
28-34 ;  1  Kings  iii.  4-15). 

NEBY-SAMUEIL,  OR  THE  ANCIENT  "MIZPEH." 

This  place  of  ancient  renown,  where  stood  one  of  the  most  historic 
cities  in  Palestine,  is  now  a  small  village,  and  is  called  by  the  natives 
Neby-Samueil.  It  is  about  four  hundred  feet  above  Gibeon,  and  nearly 
three  thousand  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Mizpeh  was  in  the  lot  of 
Benjamin,  and  is  only  about  six  miles  from  Jerusalem,  the  seat  of  the 
national  government.  The  lofty  peak  on  which  it  stands  is  regarded 
as  the  highest  in  southern  Palestine,  and  gives  a  most  delightful  view 
of  the  whole  land  from  Dan  to  Beer-sheba,  which  is  obtained  if  one 
will  take  the  pains  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  mosque  or  minaret. 

On  the  north  Carmel  and  Gerizim  are  distinctly  seen  ;  on  the  west 
Joppa,  the  plain  of  Sharon,  Lydda  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea  loom 
up  ;  and  the  mountains  of  Moab,  east  of  the  Jordan,  are  plainly  seen, 
and  the  outstretched  landscape  of  Gilead  is  in  full  view  to  the  east  and 
southeast.  Following  the  sea-coast  along  the  southern  shore  a  mound 
is  seen  which  marks  the  site  of  Ashdod,  where  Philip  was  conducted 
by  the  Spirit ;  and  farther  southward  is  Ekron,  where  the  ark  was 
lodged  for  a  time. 

The  city  must  have  been  a  jilace  of  great  importance  from  very 
early  times.  After  the  occupany  of  the  land  by  the  HebrcAvs  they  used 
to  gather  at  Mizpeh  on  great  national  assemblies,  when  representi^tives 
from  all  the  tribes  would  meet  to  approve  of  some  new  rules  for  the 
benefit  of  the  whole  people  prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy 
of  Palestine.     (Josh,  xviii.  26). 


60  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

Mizpeh  was  the  place  where  all  the  male  population  gathered,  even 
from  Dan  to  Beer-Sheba,  with  the  chief  officers,  and  were  filled  with 
indignation  against  the  people  of  Gibeah  because  of  the  great  sin  they 
had  committed  against  the  Levite,  who  went  there  to  lodge  over  night ; 
and  they  vowed  never  to  return  to  their  homes  until  they  had  avenged 
the  Benjamites  for  their  outrageous  conduct. 

The  Israelites  after  finding  their  idolatrous  worship  had  turned  the 
blessings  of  God  from  them,  met  Samuel  at  Mizpeh  and  solemnly 
promised  to  forsake  the  gods  of  Baalim  and  Ashtaroth,  and  henceforth 
follow  the  God  of  their  fathers.  It  was  also  at  Mizpeh  that  the  repre- 
sentatives of  Israel  met  and  chose  their  fii-st  king,  notwithstanding  the 
protest  of  Samuel ;  and  when  it  was  decided  that  Saul  of  Benjamin 
should  be  the  monarch,  a  shout  of  enthusiasm  made  the  mountain  echo, 
saying,  "  God  save  the  King." 

When  the  chosen  people  were  carried  away  into  captivity,  the 
Chaldean  governor  lived  at  Mizpeh  and  was  murdered  there  by  hostile 
Jews;  and  after  the  return  of  this  people  from  Babylon,  and  Nehemiah 
began  to  rebuild  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  the  men  of  Mizpeh  joined  the 
men  of  Gibeon  in  rebuilding  one  portion  of  them. 

There  are  many  other  events  of  interest  to  the  Bible  student  which 
took  j^lace  at  this  old  historic  town  and  its  environments;  it  was  at 
Mizpeh  that  Samuel  took  a  stone  and  called  the  name  of  it  Ebenezer, 
saying,  "  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  us." 

The  present  village  is  modern  and  of  no  interest  to  travelers,  and 
would  not  be  visited  were  it  not  for  its  ancient  history.  (Judges  xx ; 
1  Samuel  vii.  6-12,  and  x.  17-24;  2  Kings  xxv.  25.) 

On  approaching  Jerusalem  by  the  way  of  the  main  road  from  Joppa 
the  houses  of  the  outskirts  or  near  the  community  known  as  the  New 
Jerusalem  began  to  appear.  A  vast  improvement  has  been  made 
during  the  last  fifteen  years;  hundreds  of  nice  little  dwellings  have  been 
built  west  of  the  city,  and  inhabited  by  Jews,  who  have  gone  there  to 
spend  their  days.  In  the  winter  of  seventy-seven,  when  I  made  my 
first  visit  to  Jerusalem,  nearly  the  whole  place  upon  which  now  stand 
seven  or  eight  hundred  houses  was  vacant ;  at  that  time  there  were  but 
few  houses  west  and  northwest  of  Zion :  then  the  tendency  was  to  build 
on  the  north  of  the  Joppa  gate,  but  on  my  last  visit  I  found  the  exten- 
sion was  on  the  west  and  northwest. 

This  New  Jerusalem  covers  as  much  space,  or  nearly  so,  as  the 
old  city ;  on  account  of  the  zigzag  survey  of  the  highway  and  the  hills 
Jerusalem  could  not  be  seen  until  a  near  approach  was  reached,  even 
in  those  days  when  the  hill  round  about  on  which  stand  hundreds  of 


FROM  JOPPA  TO  JERUSALEM.  61 

houses  was  vacant;  but  at  this  time  when  so  many  buildings  have  been 
erected,  the  city  is  entirely  hid  from  view  until  one  approaches  within 
a  short  distace  of  the  Joppa  Gate. 

The  long  and  crooked  street  through  which  we  pass  is  seemingly 
full  of  tumult,  it  being  the  only  business  thoroughfare  outside  the  walls, 
Avhich  is  by  no  means  extensive;  men  and  women  are  constantly  going 
to  and  fro,  carrying  great  boxes  on  their  heads,  while  the  poor  over- 
loaded camels  and  donkeys  seem  to  bend  in  agony  under  their  burden ; 
there  is  no  society  for  the  protection  of  animals  against  cruelties  in 
Palestine,  therefore  the  poor  beasts  are  treated  without  mercy. 


PAET   Y. 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM. 

Approaching  Jerusalem — The  Ancient  and  Modern  Cities — Situation  of  Jerusa- 
lem— General  Elevation  of  the  City — Mountains  Around  the  City — City 
Walls — Walls  of  To-day — Towers  Along  the  Walls — Gates  of  the  City — 
Present  Jerusalem,  the  Modern  City — Division  of  the  City — Greek  and  Latin 
Churches — Population  of  Jerusalem — Its  Sanitary  Condition — How  the 
Nights  are  Spent — Shining  Light — The  Jews'  Wailing-place — Worship  under 
the  Church  of  England — Witnessing  the  Mournful  Service — What  Jerome 
Says  of  This  Place — The  Harem  Area — Mosque  of  Omer — The  Castle  of  An- 
tonia — Mt.  Moriah — Inscriptions  on  the  Walls — Entering  the  Mosque  of 
Omar — The  Sacred  Rock  —  Mohammed  and  Gabriel — Cave  below  the 
Mosque — Caleph  Omar — Mosque  of  El-Aksa — Temple  Courts  and  Foun- 
dations—Description of  Temple — When  Built — Its  Furnishings — Old  Foun- 
dations— Ancient  Quarries — Ancient  Jerusalem — Jebus  Captured — Jeru- 
salem the  Resting-place  of  the  Ark  of  God — Jerusalem  During  the  Reign 
of  Solomon — Decline  of  Jerusalem — Inhabitants  Carried  into  Captivity — 
Prophecy  of  Isaiah  Fulfilled — How  Alexander  the  Great  Met  the  People — 
Alexander  and  Antiochus — ^The  Great  Slaughter — Armenians  to  the  Rescue 
— The  Great  AVar  for  Liberty — King  Herod's  Reign — Zion,  the  Centre  Light 
— Zion,  on  Approaching  Jerusalem— How  Situated — Mt.  Moriah,  Oman's 
Threshing-floor — David's  Sin — Sacrifice  Offered — Approaching  Jerusalem — 
Inhabitants  of  Mt.  Moriah — Mt.  Akra,  Mt.  Bezetha — Mt.  Calvary — Ex- 
tension of  Walls  of  Jerusalem — Existence  of  Tombs  within  the  Present 
City  Walls — Great  Questions  Discussed — The  Tomb  of  Christ — Church  of 
Holy  Sepulchre. 

APPROACHING    JERUSALEM. 

IT  will  be  hard  for  me  to  tell  how  I  was  impressed  at  my  first  sight 
of  Jerusalem.  Persous  entering  Jerusalem  for  the  first  time  can- 
not be  other  than  deeply  moved  with  solemnity  when  one  remembers  he 
is  about  to  enter  the  most  sacred  and  historic  city  in  the  world,  around 
which  cluster  all  the  achievements  triumphantly  won  by  our  Lord, 
which  purchased  for  man  the  right  to  enter  through  the  gates  into  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.  When  my  eyes  first  beheld  the  holy  city  I  was 
most  solemnly  impressed  ;  the  sufferings  of  my  Lord  came  vividly  to 
my  mind,  and  I  exclaimed  :  "  O  Jerusalem  !  Jerusalem  !  thou  who 
hath  stoned  the  prophets  and  killed  them  that  my  Lord  hath  sent  you, 
62 


< 

00 

D 
CC 

O 


ANCIENT  AND   MODERN   JERUSALEM.  63 

how  many  times  would  He  have  gathered  thy  children  together  as  a 
hen  gathers  her  brood  under  her  wings,  but  ye  would  not." 

Indeed  there  was  no  day  during  my  stay  in  the  holy  city  that  I  was 
not  moved  with  aw^e  while  visiting  the  many  places  of  sacred  memory. 
I  am  told  every  visitor  is  more  or  less  impressed  on  first  entering  Jeru- 
salem with  the  sacred  character  of  the  place.  Peculiar  impressions 
naturally  seize  one  while  visiting  the  ruins  of  ancient  Rome,  or  Pom- 
peii, or  other  places  distinguished  for  passed  greatness. 

It  matte I's  not  how  strange  or  deep  the  impression  may  be  in 
viewing  these  ruins  of  Rome  or  Pompeii,  it  is  not  like  the  impressions 
received  when  you  take  your  first  view  of  the  holy  city ;  it  is  entirely 
difierent,  both  in  character  and  magnitude,  from  that  which  is  felt 
in  any  part  of  Palestine.  The  time  may  come  when  the  thousands 
who,  from  time  to  time,  visit  the  great  city  on  tlie  banks  of  the  Tilier 
to  view"  her  ruins,  her  chui'ches,  her  catacombs  and  her  spacious  founts 
will  cease  ;  but  Jerusalem  the  venerable — the  holy  city  where  prophets, 
priests  and  mighty  kings  lived,  and  which  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
historic  Avorld,  will  ever  be  visited  by  the  multitudes  of  ardent  admirers 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  because  the  proclamation  of  His  love  started 
from  there,  and  in  and  around  about  it  are  clustered  the  precious 
emblems  of  Divine  truth  and  salvation. 

When  the  gate  of  Joppa  is  opened  and  the  feet  of  the  eager  visitor 
stands  on  Mount  Zion,  his  mind  is  immediately  crowded  with  many 
events  of  its  glorious  past  age.  He  rejoices  that  he  is  standing  on  the 
holy  hill  of  Zion,  the  mount  on  which  patriarchs  and  prophets  have 
been  known  to  walk,  where  the  Lord  Jesus  once  stood,  and  apostles 
preached  repentance  toward  God  and  faith  in  Christ. 

He  will  call  to  mind  that  somewhere  near  by  was  the  throne  of 
David,  of  Solomon,  and  others  of  the  kings  of  Judah.  He  looks 
toward  the  great  mosque  of  Omar,  on  Moriah,  and  thinks  of  the  spa- 
cious temple  which  crowned  its  sacred  brow,  and  the  altars  on  wliich 
sacrifices  were  burnt,  morning  and  evening,  for  hundreds  of  years,  and 
its  hallowed  shrines,  where  thronged  the  adoring  Israelites  from  all 
parts  of  the  land,  gladly  embracing  the  opportunity  to  celebrate  the 
annual  feasts,  perhaps  using  the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  "  Our  feet 
shall  stand  within  thy  gates,  oh,  Jerusalem." 

A  SURVEY  OF  JERUSALEM. 
After  the  stranger  has   finished  for  a  time   his  meditation  of  the 
antique  history  in  connection  with  the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era,  he 
may  turn  and  consider  the  present  condition  of  the  people  thronging 


64  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

the  narrow  streets  of  the  Holy  City.  There  is  a  general  expression  of 
disappointment  by  all  who  visit  Jerusalem  from  Europe  or  America, 
both  in  the  condition  of  the  people  and  its  internal  regulations.  The 
authorities  have  no  law  in  force  regulating  the  sanitary  condition  of 
the  city ;  therefore  it  is  exceedingly  disagreeable  to  visit  some  portions, 
because  of  the  accumulation  of  filth,  from  which  a  continuous  odor  is 
emitted,  and  four-fifths  of  the  inhabitants  are  sadly  ignorant,  dejected 
and  poor,  many  of  whom  have  not  sufiicient  clothing  to  render  them 
presentable  on  the  streets.  The  most  of  the  people  are  very  sinful  and 
seem  to  glory  in  it.  We  can  plainly  see  while  looking  over  the  city 
what  moved  our  Lord  to  tears  when  he  viewed  it  from  the  slope  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  for  even  now  any  one  who  has  been  awakened  by 
the  spirit  of  Divine  grace  will  find  himself  sorrow-stricken  while  passing 
from  street  to  street,  taking  a  general  view  of  the  condition  of  a 
people  living  immediately  under  the  shadow  of  the  Cross. 

And  were  it  not  that  we  are  assured  in  God's  word  that  Jerusalem 
will  be  restored,  and  that  hopeful  evidences  of  its  fulfilment  are  already 
appeai'ing,  the  Christian  visitor  would  be  constrained  to  continue  the 
lamentable  strains  of  Jeremiah  and  say,  "Oh,  that  my  head  were 
waters  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and 
night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  my  people."     (Jer.  ix.  1.) 

The  information  I  have  received  from  those  who  have  visited 
Palestine  is  that  none  have  escaped  the  emotions  that  cannot  be  con- 
trolled on  entering  the  Holy  City,  and  especially  when  they  take  a 
general  survey  of  the  inhabitants.  It  seems  to  me  impossible  for  any 
to  feel  otherwise  who  visit  there  from  a  land  of  higher  civilization. 

SITUATION  OF  JERUSALEM. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  guides  to  take  visitors  around  the  walls  on 
the  outside  of  the  city ;  this  is  the  beginning  of  the  tours  in  and  about 
the  city  of  sacred  historry  ;  it  is  imjiortant  to  make  a  circuit  of  it  so 
that  it  may  be  definitely  seen.  The  whole  of  Jerusalem  is  built  on 
hills,  which  can  only  be  seen  to  advantage  from  lowland  on  the  out- 
side, especially  from  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  and  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom. 

It  is  not  a  veiy  long  journey,  but  very  tedious ;  from  one  and  a 
half  to  two  hours  are  required  to  complete  the  circuit ;  this  could  be 
do^e  in  one-half  the  time  were  the  paths  in  good  condition  ;  the  visi- 
tor has  his  choice  of  walking  or  riding ;  the  latter  is  generally  pre- 
ferred, although  some  portions  of  the  way  one  must  alight  and  walk 


ANCIENT  AND   MODERN  JERUSALEM.  65 

over  tlie  dangerously  rough  places,  for  should  the  beast  stumble  and 
fall,  the  rider  would  sustain  great  injury,  if  he  did  not  lose  his  life. 

But  there  is  no  more  speed  made  by  riding  than  walking ;  it  is 
believed  by  those  who  have  tried  it  one  can  make  quicker  time  walk- 
ing than  riding,  but  it  is  much  more  fatiguing  to  do  so.  Jerusalem  is 
situated  on  four  hills,  Zion,  Moriah,  Acre  and  Bezetha,  formally  sep- 
arated by  a  deep  valley  which  divided  the  city  into  four  parts.  The 
general  elevation  of  the  city  is  estimated  to  be  about  twenty-six  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  about  twenty- 
eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  persons  going  to  Jerusalem  from  every  direction  go  up 
hill,  therefore  all  say,  "  I  am  going  up  to  Jerusalem."  How  signifi- 
cant is  the  fact  to  the  idea  of  ours  about  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  land 
of  "  Precious  Promise  "  ;  all  Afho  travel  hither  express  themselves  as 
going  up. 

Although  the  Holy  City  is  prominently  situated  on  high  eleva- 
tions, it  does  not  seem  to  be  so  when  compared  to  the  mountains  round 
about  it,  but  can  be  regarded  so  only  when  compared  with  the  deep 
ravines  that  nearly  surround  it. 

There  are  mountains  around  the  city  much  higher  than  those  on 
which  it  stands,  therefore  distant  views  cannot  be  had  of  it  such  as  we 
get  of  Tyre,  Sidon,  Nazareth,  Safed,  Beyrout,  and  several  other  cities 
and  towns  in  Palestine  and  Syria.  The  best  distant  view  of  Jerusalem 
is  obtained  from  Neby  Samueil  on  the  west,  Mt.  Scopus  on  the  north, 
and  the  Mount  of  Olives  on  the  east ;  neither  of  these  places  are  far 
from  the  city. 

Many  travelers  seem  to  be  impressed  with  the  thought  that  the 
city  is  so  elevated  it  can  be  seen  from  any  quarter  when  approaching 
it,  and  are  greatly  disappointed  when  they  find  themselves  within  a 
few  hundred  yards  of  it  before  it  is  seen,  except  by  those  who  come 
from  the  north.  The  peculiar  situation  of  the  city  prevents  it  from 
being  seen  at  a  distance,  except  from  those  mountainous  points  already 
referred  to. 

The  hills  around  Jerusalem  are  much  higher  than  those  on  which 
it  stands,  so  that  it  must  be  approached  on  all  sides  from  deep  ravines 
which  lead  up  to  the  hills  that  are  not  far  from  the  Holy  City. 

THE  CITY  WALLS. 

The  present  city  is  after  the  manner  of  the  old  one,  closed  in  by 
high  walls  and  gates.      These  walls  are  by  no  means  square,  and  are 


66  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

broken  in  several  places ;  time's  crushing  hand  is  making  telling 
impressions  upon  them. 

They  are  not  to  be  compared  neither  in  height  nor  thickness  to  the 
walls  around  the  Ancient  City  in  the  days  of  David,  Solomon,  Herod 
and  others ;  in  those  days  the  chief  object  in  building  walls  was  to 
secure  the  protection  of  the  inhabitants  against  hostile  foes ;  the  means 
of  defence  were  meagre,  therefore  great  caution  was  taken  in  building 
those  fortress  walls. 

These  walls  which  now  inclose  the  city  were  built  during  the 
early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  by  order  of  Sultan  Suleiman, 
who  at  that  time  ruled  Jerusalem.  As  far  as  the  various  investiga- 
tions have  been  made  it  is  found  that  the  present  walls  stand  on  some 
of  the  ground  upon  Avhich  the  old  walls  of  the  middle  ages  stood, 
especially  on  the  east  and  south  sides,  and  contain  much  of  the  material 
of  which  they  were  composed,  and  even  those  of  remoter  times. 

The  measurement  shows  they  are  only  fifteen  feet  thick  at  the  bot- 
tom and  much  thinner  at  the  top  ;  they  are  from  twenty-five  to  seventy 
feet  high,  according  to  the  elevations  or  depressions  of  the  ground  on 
which  they  are  built ;  these  walls  were  not  built  to  protect  the  people 
in  the  city,  as  those  which  were  built  in  ancient  times  ;  since  the  use 
of  modern  improvements  of  warfare  have  been  adopted,  therefore  they 
would  be  of  little  or  no  use  for  safety  within  them. 

The  present  wall  would  be  of  no  more  service  as  a  protection 
against  the  encroachments  of  an  invading  army,  strong  and  well 
equipped  for  battle,  than  a  steam  launch  could  guard  a  city  bordering 
on  the  sea  coast  against  the  approach  of  a  man-of-war  steamship,  yet 
these  walls  are  not  wholly  useless  as  protectors,  for  while  they  close 
the  city  in  from  the  world  without  and  clothe  it  with  a  garb  of  antiquity, 
they  also  guard  it  from  the  thieving  Bedouins,  whose  haunts  are  the 
mountains,  caves,  and  solitary  places  of  Palestine,  and  who  are  gener- 
ally looking  about  watching  an  opportunity  to  plunder,  and  would 
gladly  enter  the  city,  commit  depredations  after  night,  were  it  not  that 
the  wall  prevents  them. 

All  the  gates  are  usually  locked  after  sundown,  except  the  Joppa 
gate,  which  is  often  open  until  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  but  always  strongly 
guarded  by  a  detail  of  soldiers  from  the  barracks.  The  walls  are 
estimated  to  have  a  measurement  of  a-half  a  mile  on  each  side,  and 
the  whole  circuit  of  the  city  about  two  miles. 

There  are  towers  along  the  wall  at  irregular  intervals  which  serve  as 
supports  as  well  as  watch  towers ;  it  has  been  the  custom  of  visitors 
to  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  near  the  entrance  door  into  the 


ANCIENT   AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  67 

ancient  quarry  where  one  of  the  most  superb  views  of  the  city  is 
had. 

There  is  no  danger  of  falling  ;  the  walls  are  about  six  feet  thick  on 
top  and  will  allow  two  or  three  persons  to  walk  al)reast  without  the  fear 
of  falling ;  the  ancient  walls  were  three,  each  covering  different  periods  ; 
these  shut  in  and  protect  certain  portions  of  the  city ;  the  first  enclosed 
Mt.  Zion,  the  second  Mt.  Acre  and  the  third  IMt.  Bezetha ;  those  who 
have  attempted  to  identify  the  exact  locality  and  direction  of  these 
walls,  have  not  been  as  yet  satisfactorily  successfol  in  their  efforts,  nor 
have  they  agreed  in  their  conclusions,  but  advanced  several  opinions 
as  to  their  probable  directions,  especially  with  regard  to  the  second 
wall.  Much  care  has  been  taken  and  labor  expended  to  find  the  pre- 
cise location  and  direction  of  it,  for  if  that  could  be  discovered,  the 
long  and  perplexing  dispute  as  to  the  site  of  Mt.  Calvary  would  be  for- 
ever settled ;  until  that  is  known  there  will  be  continued  controversies 
as  to  the  true  site  of  our  Lord's  crucifixion. 

Of  late  gratifying  progress  has  been  made  which  has  stimulated  a 
hope  of  future  success. 

GATES  OF  THE  CITY. 

There  are  eight  gates  in  the  walls  of  the  present  city :  of  these  the 
Joppa  gate,  through  which  all  who  go  up  to  Jerusalem  from  the  west 
or  south  pass,  is  without  doubt  the  most  important ;  at  least  four-fifths 
of  those  who  enter  into  the  city  pass  through  this  gate.  The  new  gate, 
which  has  only  been  placed  in  the  walls  lately,  is  on  the  northwest  of 
the  former ;  it  has  no  historical  importance  attached  to  it,  and  was 
opened  simply  as  a  convenience  for  those  living  in  the  west  and 
northwest. 

The  Damascus  gate  or  gate  of  the  Columns  opens  opposite  the  old 
road  to  Shechem,  Samaria,  Nazareth,  Tiberias  and  Damascus ;  it  is 
sometimes  called  the  ornamental  gate,  because  it  is  more  richly  embel- 
lished than  any  of  the  others.  St.  Stephen's  gate,  which  the  native 
Christians  call  "  The  Gate  of  my  Lady  Mary,"  is  located  on  the  east 
side  of  the  city,  and  is  the  most  convenient  entrance  and  exit  for  those 
who  are  passing  to  and  from  the  Kedron  Valley.  The  gate  is  very 
plain,  having  but  a  single  peculiar  feature  of  distinction,  that  is,  a  sculp- 
tured lion  over  it.  The  gate  of  the  Moore  is  small  and  used  but  little. 
It  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  city  near  the  Tyropean  Valley, 
and  is  the  nearest  exit  to  the  village  of  Siloam  and  several  other  places 
in  that  locality.  The  Zion  gate  is  on  the  ridge  of  Mt.  Zion,  and  is 
known  by  the  natives  as  the  gate  of  the  Prophet  David. 


68  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

There  are  two  other  gates,  the  gate  of  Herod  aud  the  Golden  gate ; 
these  two  are  closed  continually  ;  the  latter  is  watched  zealously  by  the 
Moslems  who  confidently  believe  that  if  that  gate  should  be  opened 
their  power  in  Palestine  would  be  broken  forever.  This  gate  also 
marks  the  site  of  the  ancient  gate  through  which  our  Lord  made  his 
triumphant  entry  into  Jerusalem  headed  and  followed  by  a  tumultuous 
multitude  shouting  His  praise. 

If  the  Golden  Gate  were  opened  it  would  lead  from  the  Valley  of 
Jehoshaphat  to  the  area  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar.  It  has  a  double  arch 
on  the  valley  side  and  inside  a  very  well  designed  vaulted  chamber. 

THE  PRESENT  JERUSALEM. 

The  gates  of  the  ancient  city  were  many  more  than  those  of  the 
present ;  they  are  enumerated  in  the  books  of  Nehemiah  and  Second 
Kings.  When  we  consider  the  minute  description  of  these  gates  as 
given  by  Josephus  and  other  ancient  writers  who  remembered  the  pur- 
pose for  which  they  served  we  cannot  but  conclude  they  were  not  only 
massive,  but  also  very  beautiful. 

Notwithstanding  the  traveler  who  visits  Jerusalem  for  the  first  time 
is  seized  with  a  feeling  of  disappointment  when  he  passes  through  the 
entrance  gate,  from  the  fact  nothing  upon  which  he  looks  fills  the 
measure  of  his  expectation  ;  but  when  he  considers  he  is  in  the  most 
famous  city  in  the  world,  the  one  which  is  connected  with  the  most 
sacred  and  illustrious  events  known  in  history,  he  then  commences  to 
realize  that  the  ground  upon  which  he  stands  is  holy.  Jerusalem  has 
passed  through  so  many  bitter  ordeals  it  cannot  be  expected  that  many 
of  the  ancient  relics  remain  above  the  surface. 

Jerusalem  having  been  sacked  at  least  seventeen  times,  the  greater 
part  of  it  lies  deeply  buried  beneath  the  present  city.  Much  of  the 
old  material,  however,  has  been  discovered  by  the  various  excavations 
which  have  been  in  progress  from  time  to  time ;  it  is  stated  that  when 
the  foundation  for  the  English  mission  church,  for  the  proper  teaching 
of  the  gospel  among  the  Jews,  was  being  dug  on  Mt.  Zion,  the  work- 
men had  to  dig  down  through  fifty  or  more  feet  of  ruins  before  they 
came  to  a  place  solid  enough  to  lay  the  foundation.  (See  Nehemiah, 
iii. ;  2  Kings,  xiv.) 

There  is  a  street,  beginning  at  the  Latin  convent  and  passing 
through  the  arch,  "  Ecce  Homo,"  which  leads  to  the  gate  of  St. 
Stephen,  this  is  known  as  "  Via  Dolorosa,"  and  is  traditionally  held 
as  the  route  through  which  our  Lord  passed  while  bearing  His  cross  to 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  69 

Golgotha's  summit ;  this  has  been  memorable  to  pilgrims  who  still  con- 
tinue the  custom  that  has  existed  for  many  years. 

They  do  not  fail  to  go  down  this  pass,  mournfully  expressing  their 
sympathy  for  Jesus  who  bore  the  cross  for  them.  Notwithstanding 
there  is  not  a  shadow  of  foundation  for  locating  the  way  of  mourning 
to  be  this  narrow  pass  beyond  questionable  tradition,  yet  it  is  so  confi- 
dently believed  by  the  great  mass  of  pilgrims,  they  would  not  dare 
leave  the  city  without  passing  through  it  and  shedding  tears  in  sacred 
commemoration  of  our  Lord's  agony.  It  is  the  prevailing  opinion  that 
if  the  tears  of  the  pilgrims  of  many  generations  which  have  fallen  upon 
the  ground  here  remained,  every  spot  of  it  from  end  to  end  would  have 
been  wet;  how  fittingly  the  words  of  our  Lord  apply  to  them,  with 
which  He  addressed  the  mourning  multitude  who  followed  Him  while 
bending  under  His  cross.  Judging  from  sad  demonstrations  they 
manifest,  they  are  just  as  earnest  in  their  sympathy  as  were  those  who 
followed  our  Lord. 

David  and  Zion  streets  run  nearly  at  right  angles,  dividing  the  city 
into  four  parts  ;  on  the  northwest  is  the  Christian  quarter,  the  Moslems 
live  in  the  northeast,  on  the  southeast  the  Jews  are  clustered  in  their 
ancient  looking  dwellings  to  themselves,  and  from  the  general  condi- 
tion of  their  quarters,  we  feel  safe  to  say,  no  one,  not  even  the  native 
Arabs,  covet  their  situation. 

On  the  southwest  side  the  Armenians  have  their  quarters,  they 
seem  to  be  an  industrious  and  prosperous  people  ;  these  four  sects 
represent  the  religious  communities,  though  divided  in  four  general 
divisions,  yet  they  embrace  several  different  denominations  ;  it  is  im- 
portant that  these  sects  should  live  in  sections  to  themselves  in  order 
that  peace  be  preserved  among  them. 

There  is  an  unabating  hostile  sentiment,  fostered  by  them  on  ac- 
count of  their  religious  persecutions ;  it  is  an  evil  which  will,  no  doubt, 
bring  about  results  which  will  be  sadly  lamented ;  there  are  many 
demonstrations  that  indicate  fearful  results  in  time  to  come,  unless 
proper  steps  are  taken  to  remedy  the  existing  evils.  Some  of  the  reli- 
gious denominations  which  live  in  the  same  section  are  bitterly  opposed 
to  each  other ;  this  feeling  has  existed  for  some  time  among  the  Greek 
and  Latin  Christians,  who  have  attempted  on  several  occasions  to  take 
each  other's  lives.  This  outrageously  hostile  feeling  began  when  the 
officials  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches,  both  in  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem,  and  that  of  the  Holy  Nativity  in  Beth- 
lehem, were  at  swords'  points  against  each   other.     It  happens  that 


70  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

their  outbreaks  of  hostilities  are  many  times  the  results  of  small  mat- 
ters, such  as  the  decorations  about  the  altars,  or  the  right  to  enter  one 
of  the  doors  claimed  by  another,  and  such  other  correspondingly  light 
matters. 

It  may  seem  to  many,  to  be  incredible  but  it  is  nevertheless  true, 
guards  of  soldiers  are  kept  constantly  within  the  walls  of  these  sacred 
and  most  distinguished  buildings  in  the  world,  to  prohibit  an  uprising 
and  bloodshed  among  those  who  ought  to  be  peacemakers,  the  "  salt  of 
the  earth,"  "the  light  of  the  world  ; "  yet  it  is  sadly  true  they  are  kept 
imder  close  vigilance  daily,  lest  they  should  renew  their  hostilities. 

AVe  know  this  to  be  true,  for  our  own  eyes  have  seen  them;  it  had 
been  but  a  short  time  before  I  arrived  in  Jerusalem  that  a  very  disas- 
trous outbreak  occurred  in  Bethlehem,  during  which  several  of  the 
participants  were  severely  injured  ;  the  bitter  feeling  which  was  kindled 
in  the  breasts  of  these  influential  religious  bodies,  many  years  ago,  is 
just  as  strongly  encouraged  now,  as  when  it  was  first  blown  to  a  flame, 
and  is  likely  to  continue  for  ages  to  come.  The  population  of  Jeru- 
salem is  estimated  to  be  about  sixty  thousand,  and  it  is  constantly 
increasing.  Of  this  number,  forty-three  thousand  are  Jews,  about  eight 
thousand  Moslems,  nine  thousand  Protestants,  four  thousand  Orthodox 
Greeks,  three  thousand  and  nine  hundred  Latin  Catholics,  two  hundred 
Greek  Catholics,  eight  hundred  Armenians,  one  hundred  Syrians,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Copts,  five  hundred  Abyssinians,  and  a  few  others ; 
this  large  population  living  in  such  a  small  space  are  compelled  to 
occupy-  but  little  house  room  for  large  families,  therefore  they  are 
necessarily  pressed  and  put  to  many  disadvantages,  which  the  inhabit- 
ants of  our  modern  cities  know  nothing  about ;  their  homes  are  poorly 
ventilated,  their  cisterns  and  reservoirs  often  become  stagnant.  The 
destitution  of  sewerage  and  the  total  neglect  of  sanitary  regulations, 
render  the  Holy  City  at  times  very  unhealthy. 

On  this  account,  strangers  are  ordered  to  be  specially  cautious  in 
drinking  the  water  unless  it  is  first  boiled  and  filtered  ;  otherwise  it  is 
liable  to  produce  some  troublesome  disease.  The  violation  of  this 
advice  has  been  woefully  experienced  by  many.  It  is  strange  proper 
steps  are  not  taken  by  the  Turkish  authorities  to  place  the  city  in  a 
more  healthful  condition,  both  for  the  benefit  of  inhabitants  and  those 
from  other  lands,  who  are  yearly  visiting  it. 

It  is  authoritatively  stated  that  the  refuse  of  the  city  is  largely 
dumped  into  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  w  hich  is  nearly  adjoining  the  soldiers' 
barracks ;  it  can  be  easily  seen  that  such  a  state  of  things  is  antagonistic 
to  health.     It  is  the  opinion  of  medical  men,  if  Jerusalem  was  put 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN   JERUSALEM.  71 

under  a  rigid  sanitaiy  discipline  it  would  be  one  of  the  most  healthy 
and  purest  places  in  the  world.  The  many  pleasures  indulged  and 
patronized  by  the  masses  in  countries  known  to  be  highly  civilized  and 
progressive,  many  of  which  break  down  in  health,  and  hurry  thousands 
to  untituely  graves,  are  not  known  in  Jerusalem ;  just  as  soon  as  the 
sun  dips  its  golden  pinions  into  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  the  places  of 
business  are  closed,  with  few  exceptions,  and  all  the  gates  but  the  one 
on  the  west  are  closed.  This  has  been  allowed  to  remain  open  longer 
to  permit  those  who  have  been  detained  on  business  to  come  in ;  but 
few  if  any  care  to  be  out  after  dark ;  the  streets  are  as  dark  as  mid- 
night, for  there  can  scarcely  be  seen  a  ray  of  light  anywhere,  and  a 
death-like  silence  reigns  in  all  the  passes  and  lanes  almost  over  the 
whole  city. 

There  are  no  church  meetings  at  night,  except  at  a  small  mission, 
about  a  half  a  mile  beyond  the  Joppa  gate,  where  meetings  are  held 
for  a  few  persons  about  one  hour  on  Sunday  nights. 

Jerusalem  is  free  from  all  such  amusements  as  concerts,  theatres, 
balls,  and  the  variety  of  attractions  common  in  other  lands ;  therefore 
the  people  have  nowhere  to  go  to  spend  their  time,  and  break  down 
their  health,  therefore  almost  all  the  people  seem  to  go  down  w'ith  the 
sun  and  arise  with  it. 

There  are  a  few  people  seen  lurking  about  the  Cafes  and  drinking 
saloons,  until  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  but  they  are  generally  quiet  and 
orderly ;  the  poverty  of  the  masses  will  not  permit  them  to  indulge 
very  freely  in  spending  their  money  for  liquors  ;  the  most  drinking  is 
done  by  persons  who  visit  there  from  countries  of  more  advanced 
civilization. 

SHINING  LIGHT. 

If  a  person  should  necessarily  be  out  at  a  late  hour  it  is  important 
he  should  have  a  lantern,  otherwise  he  is  liable  to  be  arrested.  It  hap- 
pened during  my  stay  in  Jerusalem,  the  American  Consul  was  com- 
pelled to  be  out  one  night  very  late,  visiting  a  number  of  Jews  who 
were  under  his  supervision,  and  when  he  came  back  to  the  hotel  some 
one  had  to  escort  him  with  a  light.  It  is  commonly  believed  that  no 
one  but  thieves  are  out  in  the  darkness,  or  some  evil  motive  is  the  pre- 
vailing incentive,  that  would  stimulate  a  person  to  prowl  through  the 
city  without  a  light ;  therefore  all  persons  who  are  thus  found  are 
promptly  arrested,  and  put  in  the  guard-house  until  morning,  then  an 
investigation  is  made  in  their  case. 

This  custom  has  come  down  through  the  distant  ages  unchanged  ; 


72  THE  LAND  OF   PKOMISE. 

this  same  rule  applies   to  all  the  cities  in  Palestine  and  Syria  except 
Beyrout,  in  which  there  are  street  lamps  lighted  with  gas. 

Our  Lord  seems  to  have  referred  to  this  time-honored  regulation  in 
his  memorable  "Sermon  on  the  Mount,"  when  He  admonished  the 
anxious  ones  to  "let  their  light  shine  before  men."  The  illustration 
is  so  very  striking  no  one  can  fail  to  see  how  fittingly  our  Lord  ap- 
plied it  to  the  indispensable  spiritual  light,  which  alone  is  convincing 
to  men,  they  are  changed  from  nature  to  grace.     (See  Matt,  v.) 

THE  WAILING  PLACE   (JERUSALEM.) 

The  Jews'  Wailing  Place  is  one  of  the  great  attractions  in  Jerusa- 
lem. It  is  sought  as  eagerly  as  any  of  the  ancient  historical  places  of 
distinction  in  Palestine.  No  visitor  to  the  Holy  City  feels  satisfied 
with  his  observation,  nor  is  he  willing  to  leave  without  witnessing  the 
strikingly  peculiar  devotions  of  the  Jews,  which  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
pressive exhibitions  of  deep  lamentations,  on  account  of  Divine  dis- 
pleasure, to  be  seen  anywhere  in  our  world.  The  Jews  gather  in  large 
numbers  along  the  walls  of  the  celebrated  Haram,  to  weep  over  their 
present  condition  and  pray  for  the  favor  of  God  to  rest  upon  and 
restore  the  city  and  country  to  them,  that  they  may  rule  over  it  as 
their  fathers  did  in  their  day  of  prosperity.  The  narrow  lanes  and 
passes  leading  to  the  Wailing  Place  are  very  difficult  to  pass  through, 
being  rugged,  crooked  and  filthy. 

The  moment  the  Jewish  quarter  is  entered  a  sickening  odor,  that 
fills  the  air,  is  prominent ;  but  the  stranger  will  not  regret  the  un- 
pleasantness of  the  trip  when  the  occasion  of  his  visit  is  witnessed. 
The  Jews  of  both  sexes  assemble  along  the  stupendous  walls  of  the 
time-stricken  building  each  Friday  afternoon,  and  weep  aloud  from 
three  o'clock  until  five. 

These  poor,  dejected  people,  of  all  ages  and  conditions,  from  all 
quarters  of  the  world,  are  seen  here  every  week,  participating  in  the 
most  peculiar  service,  which,  although  strange  and  amusing  to  many, 
is  one  of  the  most  important  character  in  the  estimation  of  the  Jews, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  and  they  are  from  all  outward  appear- 
ances as  earnest  and  sincere  as  if  their  last  moments  on  earth  had  come. 

These  poor,  unfortunate  people,  whose  misleading  faith  has  launched 
them  into  a  deep  gulf  of  adversity,  gather  at  their  place  of  weekly 
lamentations  from  Russia,  Germany,  Poland,  Roumania,  Spain,  India, 
Egypt,  Africa,  and  other  countries,  wherever  they  are  dispersed,  to 
mingle  their  pensive  petitions  with  those  who  dwell  in  Jerusalem,  for 
the  return  of  the  blessings  of  the  Almighty  upon  the  people  of  their 


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ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  73 

race  in  Palestine.  Some  of  them  are  seen  bending  under  the  weight 
of  four-score  years,  some  in  the  meridian  of  life,  others  in  the  morning 
of  youth,  all  of  whom  have  their  faces  turned  towards  the  wall,  pre- 
senting a  deeply  touching  scene ;  their  agonizing  gestures  and  pene- 
trating cries  are  almost  bewildering.  This  method  of  expressing  their 
grief  because  their  sanctuary  has  become  dishonored  and  desolate,  in 
connection  with  their  own  destitute  and  humiliating  condition,  has 
been  continued  for  many  centuries,  and  doubtless  will  be  perpetuated 
until  they  make  a  full  and  complete  surrender  of  their  cherished  reli- 
gion, and  embrace  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which,  to  my  mind,  is  only 
a  comparatively  short  time. 

For  already  hundreds  cf  them  have  espoused  the  Christian  faith  and 
devoutly  worship  Christ  on  the  hill  of  Zion,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Church  of  England.  This  practiced  weeping  was  no  doubt  introduced 
during  the  Babylonian  captivity,  when  the  devout  Jews  remembering 
the  devastated  condition  of  Jerusalem,  their  temple  and  altars, 
mourned  and  hung  their  harps  upon  the  willows  on  the  river  bank. 

But  the  precedent  became  more  prominent,  about  the  year  362  of 
our  era,  when  the  Jews  were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  Holy  City  but 
once  a  year,  then  special  permission  was  given  them  to  pass  through 
the  gates  to  weep  over  the  ruins  of  the  Temple.  In  after  years,  when  those 
ostracised  people  were  granted  permission  to  return  and  dwell  in  their 
ancient  city,  they  went  every  week  to  their  present  place  of  wailing  to 
demonstrate  their  griefs,  and  continued  to  do  so  on  each  Friday.  The 
burden  of  their  lamentations  is  based  upon  Psalm  Ixxix.,  which  they 
read  or  repeat  during  their  service. 

It  has  been  the  opinion  of  some  visitors  who  have  witnessed  these 
strange  gatherings,  that  the  Jews  conduct  them  specially  to  entertain 
strangers  and  enlist  their  sympathy,  and,  aside  from  that,  the  whole 
proceeding  is  a  meaningless  custom  ;  but  this  is  far  from  being  cor- 
rect :  these  meetings  are  of  the  most  sincere  character  and  the  Jews 
expect  as  fully  to  obtain  their  desire,  as  the  most  fervent  Christian, 
who  earnestly  prays  for  something  of  special  interest  to  the  world. 

I  had  a  favorable  opportunity  to  witness  this  mouNiful  service 
which  so  solemnly  impressed  me  ;  it  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  ;  we  saw 
old  men  and  old  women  bending  under  the  hand  of  time,  young  men 
and  maidens  just  entering  their  majority,  little  boys  and  girls  w^ho  are 
to  be  the  future  guides  of  their  race,  all  bending  in  solemn  devo- 
tion, the  magnitude  of  which  could  not  be  fully  expressed  even  by  the 
flow  of  tears  prominently  falling  from  their  cheeks.* 
*  Psalm  cxxxvii.  1 :  2. 


74  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

The  summit  of  Calvary  on  which  the  Lord  Jesus  died  for  their 
redemption  is  only  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the  walls  where  Jewish 
wailing  is  heard,  yet  these  weeping  ones  have  no  faith  in  the  story  of 
the  cross  and  they  despise  the  Saviour  of  men  to  this  day,  even  as  did 
their  fathers  who  slew  Him.  I  felt  like  saying  to  them  while  behold- 
ing their  devotions.  Turn  and  look  to  Calvary  and  accept  the  Christ 
whom  your  forefathers  crucified  and  all  these  blessings  you  seek  will 
be  given  you  for  His  name's  sake.  The  Jews  have  worn  some  of  the 
rough  stones  composing  the  Haram  wall  quite  smooth  with  their  heads 
wliich  have  pressed  them  for  so  many  centuries. 

The  stones  of  which  the  wall  is  built  are  white  marble,  composed 
of  very  large  blocks,  some  being  fifteen  feet  long  and  three  feet  thick ; 
as  the  wall  became  higher,  in  building,  smaller  stones  were  used  for 
it,  yet  all  of  them  may  be  regarded  as  unusually  lai-ge  ;  Jerome  speaVs 
of  this  place  as  the  site  of  the  Jews'  Wailing  Place,  in  the  time  w'hen 
Jerusalem  was  in  the  custody  of  Rome. 

He  says  such  was  the  deep  anxiety  of  the  dispersed  and  sorrowing 
Jews,  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  walls  and  weep,  they  would  pay  the 
Roman  soldiers  for  permission  to  do  so.  It  is  prayerfully  hoped,  as  the 
rapidly  increasing  Mission  Church  on  Mt  Zion  grows  in  numbers,  its 
influence,  in  connection  with  others  near  the  city,  will  be  efiectually 
illuminating,  and  instead  of  a  promiscuous  gathering  of  aimless  people 
seen  each  Friday  at  the  Haram,  they  will  be  found  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  bowing  before  their  Redeemer. 

THE  HARAM  AREA. 

The  Mosque  of  Omar  occupies  a  portion  of  the  venerable  site  on 
which  was  erected  the  great  Temple  and  its  connecting  buildings ;  this 
large  tract,  shut  in  by  walls,  is  one  of  the  most  revered  and  sacred 
places  in  Jerusalem ;  the  sacred  enclosure  covers  about  thirty-five 
acres  of  space,  and  is  known  as  "  El  Haram-ash-Sherif,"  or  "  The 
noble  Sanctuary ;  "  it  is  closed  in  by  high  massive  walls  in  which  are 
set  eleven  gates,  three  of  these  are  on  the  north,  and  eight  on  the  west 
side  ;  there  are  three  other  gateways,  which  are  supposed  to  occupy  the 
sites  of  ancient  gates  ;  those  on  the  south  are  called  double  and  triple 
gates  respectively,  and  that  on  the  east,  is  the  renowned  Golden  Gate. 

These  ancient  gateways  are  carefully  walled,  so  that  no  one  can 
pass  through  them ;  the  Haram  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Moslems, 
who  keep  a  close  watch  over  it  day  and  night.  For  a  long  time 
Christians  were  not  permitted,  under  any  circumstances,  to  pass  the 
portals  of  its  sacred  enclosure,  and  if  one  would  dare  venture  beyond 


ANCIENT  AND  MODEKN  JERUSALEM.  75 

the  prescribed  bounds  the  chances  of  his  returning  were  as  slender  as 
a  spider's  web,  for  the  alert  Mohammedans  would  slay  him  without 
mercy. 

But  it  is  pleasing  to  state  the  barriers  have  been  removed,  and  all 
visitors  to  Jerusalem  are  allowed  to  enter  by  paying  a  high  fee,  but 
even  now  it  is  not  safe  to  attempt  a  visit  there  without  having  a  guard. 
The  functionary  is  called  Kamass ;  he  is  sent,  on  application,  by  the 
consul  of  the  country  to  which  the  applicant  belongs. 

Besides  paying  an  admission  fee  of  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  each 
person  is  expected  to  give  fifty  cents  extra  as  Bakshish  to  the  Moslem 
Sheikhs,  who  superintend  the  various  buildings  within  the  enclosure. 
Although  there  are  eleven  gates  opened  into  the  area  of  the  Haram, 
visitors  generally  pass  in  the  entrance  gate  at  the  end  of  the  street  of 
the  cotton  merchants ;  it  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  in  all  the 
cities  of  Palestine  the  streets  are  named  according  to  the  character 
of  the  business  conducted  in  them,  such  as  the  street  of  the  "tanners," 
or  of  che  shoemakers,  or  of  the  sheep  market,  cotton  merchants  and 
the  like. 

There  are  streets  having  four  or  five  different  names,  and  are  divided 
into  business  sections  On  the  morning  of  our  visit  to  this  most  mem- 
orable place  there  was  a  party  of  twelve  of  us,  besides  six  or  seven 
guides  and  as  many  consular  guards. 

Our  chief  guide  was  a  converted  Jew,  who  was  one  of  the  oflicial 
ministers  of  the  mission  church,  located  on  the  slope  of  Mt.  Zion, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  established  Church  of  England  ;  he  was  an 
efficient  guide,  having  had  an  opportunity  to  thoroughly  explore  Jeru- 
salem and  the  country  round  about  as  far  as  possible. 

He  has  acquired  a  voluminous  amount  of  historical  information 
concerning  some  of  the  most  eventful  places  in  and  al)out  Jerusalem. 
A  moment  after  we  passed  the  entrance  gate  he  caused  us  to  halt ;  he 
then  pointed  to  a  curious  looking  stone,  which  was  in  use  when  our 
Lord  frequented  the  temple,  and  is  supposed  to  have  composed  a  part 
of  the  pavement  leading  to  it. 

MOSQUE  OF  OMAR. 

Then  said  the  guide, "This  stone  is  in  all  probability  one  that  com- 
posed the  portion  of  the  walk  when  our  Lord  repeated  His  visits  to 
the  Temple,  and  no  doubt  his  feet  often  rested  upon  it  when  passing  in 
and  out  of  this  enclosure."  The  words  of  our  guide  filled  us  with 
hopeful  amazement,  and  when  I  placed  ray  foot  upon  it,  and  remem- 
bered it  was  probably  resting  on  the  very  spot  upon  which  the  feet  of 


76  THE    LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

our  Lord  stood,  a  feeling  of  joy  came  over  me  which  is  impossible  to 
describe. 

Although  nearly  every  foot  of  ground  within  the  enclosure  and 
almost  every  noticeable  stone  has  been  under  continuous  controversy, 
yet  there  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  existence  of  this  rocky  surface  during 
the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  as  it  is  close  to  one  of  the  entrance  gates  it 
is  highly  probable  the  Lord  Jesus  often  passed  in  and  out  over  it. 

Therefore  there  is  no  tangible  reason  to  the  contrary  that  the  holy 
feet  of  Jesus  many  times  rested  upon  it ;  there  are  many  important 
traditional  sites  within  the  Haram  inclosure,  concerning  many  of 
which  we  cannot  speak  owing  to  small  space,  and  can  only  give  a 
passing  notice  of  some  of  the  most  important  places. 

The  castle  of  Antonia,  built  by  Herod,  on  the  site  of  a  Macedonian 
fort,  as  an  outpost  and  defence  of  the  Temple  Court,  was  in  what  was 
known  as  the  "  second  circuit,  or  within  the  second  wall  inclosing  the 
lower  city  ;  "  it  was  here  that  St.  Paul  addressed  the  people  so  touch- 
ingly  after  having  been  delivered  from  an  angry  mob,  who  sought  his 
life.     (See  Acts  xxi :  34-40.) 

Within  the  Haram  enclosure  is  one  of  the  most  historic  places  in 
the  world  ;  it  is  the  memorable  Mt.  Moriah,  the  site  on  which  Oman 
had  his  threshing  floor ;  here,  it  is  currently  believed,  Abraham 
brought  his  beloved  Isaac  to  offer  him  up  to  the  Lord ;  here  King 
David  came  in  haste,  being  divinely  directed  to  intercede  for  his 
plagued-stricken  people  ;  and  upon  its  lofty  brow  stood  the  beautiful 
Temple,  which  King  Solomon  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  services  of 
the  Lord,  to  which  multitudes  of  enthusiastic  worshipers  came  to  pour 
forth  their  devotions  to  the  Most  High.  Moriah  is  now  covered  with 
the  Mosque  of  Omar,  which  is  looked  upon  as  the  most  beautiful  and 
interesting  building  in  Jerusalem  ;  this  building  stands  in  the  middle 
of  the  platform,  which  has  been  skillfully  elevated.  It  is  octagonal  in 
construction,  having  a  measurement  of  sixty-seven  feet  on  each  side, 
rising  forty-six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  supporting  a  circular  wall, 
which  is  twenty-five  feet  higher ;  upon  this  the  beautiful  dome  is 
erected,  which  rises  forty  feet  higher,  making  the  building  from  the 
surface  to  the  highest  point  of  the  dome  one  hundred  and  ten  feet. 

There  are  inscriptions  of  beautiful  designs  in  pure  Mosaic  in  sev- 
eral places  on  the  walls,  which  must  have  been  very  handsome  in 
earlier  times ;  they  are  fast  falling,  and  in  a  short  time  there  will  not 
be  one  of  these  jirecious  gems  left  to  tell  of  the  former  glory  of  the 
inner  walls  of  the  Mosque. 

It  would  be  difficult  for  any  one  possessed  with  reason  to  stand  in 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  77 

front  of  the  wonderful  and  magnificent  liuilding  and  view  its  many 
colored  marbles  as  they  glisten  in  the  sunlight,  as  did  the  stones  of  the 
great  Temple  which  once  adorned  this  summit,  without  being  touched 
with  the  peculiar  emotions  that  filled  the  hearts  of  the  multitude  on 
their  approach  to  the  Temple,  when  the  tribes  came  up  to  pay  their 
vow  to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  About  this  cragged  summit  clustered 
the  religious,  poetical  and  political  life  of  the  people  favored  by  the 
Lord.  The  aggravating  controversies,  which  have  caused  much 
uneasiness  and  perplexity  among  many  leading  explorers  of  Palestine, 
do  not  linger  around  the  brow  of  Moriah,  as  its  identity  is  conceded 
by  most  of  the  leading  writers.  Although  there  are  many  opinions 
current  as  to  the  true  sites  of  various  places,  concerning  which  the 
Bible  gives  account,  in  and  about  Jerusalem,  but  few  will  attempt  to 
dispute  that  the  Mosque  of  Omar  stands  upon  the  summit  of  Mt. 
Moriah.  The  Jewish,  Christian  and  Moslem  traditions  accord  in  the 
statement  that  the  Mosque  of  Omar  occupies  one  of  the  most  sacred 
places  in  the  Holy  City.  Those  who  are  favored  with  an  opportunity 
of  entering  its  adored  precincts  are  commanded  to  take  off  their  shoes 
at  the  entrance  door,  or  put  a  pair  of  slippers  over  them,  for  the  Mos- 
lems will  not  allow  any  one,  under  any  circumstances,  to  enter  with- 
out first  covering  their  shoes  with  soft-sole  slippers,  and  this  must  be 
observed  by  all  who  gain  admission,  whether  potentate  or  peasant. 
On  first  entering,  the  interior  is  very  gloomy,  and  so  dark  at  times  that 
one  must  wait  a  few  moments  until  the  pupil  of  the  eye  expands  suffi- 
ciently to  take  in  enough  of  the  dim  light  penetrating  the  crevices  to 
overcome  the  darkness  of  the  chamber. 

THE  SACRED  ROCK. 

Then  the  beauties  of  the  large  room  begin  to  appear  more  and 
more  until  the  beholder  is  almost  amazed  in  wonder  and  filled  with 
admiration  ;  the  gorgeous  coloring  of  the  beautifully  painted  woodwork, 
the  fine  marble,  the  costly  mosaics,  the  great  dome  over  head  hand- 
somely decorated  with  choice  inscriptions  finely  gilded.  All  this 
splendor  gleams  out  through  the  darkness,  presenting  a  panorama  of 
rich  and  rare  taste;  there  are  many  other  important  objects  worthy 
of  admiration  to  be  seen  in  the  building,  but  all  of  them  combined  fail 
before  the  Sacred  Rock  in  the  centre  of  the  building  just  under  the 
dome,  carefully  protected  by  a  wooden  railing,  and  constantly  w^atched 
by  the  officials  of  the  Mosque. 

The  rock  is  exposed  to  every  one's  view  who  enters  the  chamber ;  its 
surface  is  smooth  and  bare,  and  is  estimated  to  measure  about  sixty 


78  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

feet  in  length  and  forty-five  feet  in  width ;  Captain  Wilson  says,  "  It 
stands  about  four  feet,  nine  inches  and  a-lialf  above  the  marble  pave- 
ment at  its  highest  point,  and  one  foot  at  its  lowest." 

The  surface  of  tlie  rock  bears  prominent  marks  of  bad  treatment 
and  rough  chiselling ;  there  are  many  stories  of  Moslem  invention 
told  visitors  by  the  guides,  simply  for  the  story's  sake,  but  the  Moham- 
medans would  have  them  believed,  no  matter  how  enormous  they  may 
seem. 

The  Moslems  cannot,  it  seems,  see  anything  but  certainty  in  every 
legend  transmitted  to  them  from  their  ancestors ;  they  seem  to  believe 
in  them  as  confidently  as  they  do  in  their  Koran,  and  will  brand 
every  one  as  a  stupid  infidel  who  differs  with  them  in  religious  per- 
suasion. 

MOHAMMED  AND  GABRIEL. 

There  are  many  wild  and  groundless  legends  the  fathers  of  Mos- 
lemism  have  connected  with  the  several  places  in  and  about  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  that  interfere  very  much  at  times  with  the  sacred 
impressions  made  on  the  minds  of  pious  visitors  ;  for  example,  at  one 
corner  of  the  rock  may  be  seen  an  indentation  resembling  a  foot  print. 
Moslems  try  to  impress  strangers  that  it  is  tlie  impression  of  Mohammed's 
foot ;  close  to  it  is  a  poorly  cut  hand  print ;  this  is  said  to  be  the  mark 
of  the  hand  of  the  Angel  Gabriel ;  the  current  Moslem  tradition  is, 
that  when  Mohammed  started  from  this  world  to  heaven,  he  was  stand- 
ing on  this  rock,  and  such  was  the  holy  impression  he  made  upon  the 
rock,  it  lifted  itself  to  go  up  with  him,  but  Gabriel,  being  present, 
placed  his  hand  upon  the  rock  to  hold  it  down,  which,  when  lifted,  left 
its  ])rint  there ;  and  likewise  Mohammed's  foot  left  its  impression  where 
he  stood. 

These  marks  they  say  have  remained  there  until  the  present,  and 
this  is  one  of  the  wild  statements  Moslems  have  to  relate  to  strangers. 

THE  CAVE  BELOW  THE  MOSQUE. 

Beneath  the  rock  there  is  a  cave,  which  is  entered  by  descending  a 
flight  of  eleven  steps ;  the  Mohammedans  say  this  was  the  place  fre- 
quented by  Abraham,  David,  Solomon  and  Jesus,  when  they  Avished  to 
pray  privately,  and  the  four  niches  there  are  respectively  shown  where 
each  one  used  to  pray. 

There  is  also  a  small  marble  slab  in  the  centre  of  the  floor  covering 
a  deep  cavity,  in  which  there  is  an  incessant  rumbling  sound  that  can 
be  heard  distinctly  by  applying  the  ear  to  the  slab  ;  the  cause  of  this 


ANCIENT  AND  MODEEN  JERUSALEM.  .  79 

noise  is  not  satisfactorily  known,  altliougli  several  stories  have  been 
told  concerning  it.  The  opinion  of  Devogue  Pieratte  and  Warren  is; 
that  the  opening  is  connected  with  cisterns  and  sewers  through  which 
the  blood  and  refuse  ran  from  the  Altars  of  Sacrifice,  and  passed  into 
the  valley  below ;  this  seems  to  be  the  most  plausible  definition  of  the 
existence  of  the  murmuring  sound  in  the  deep  cavity  under  the  rock, 
which  could  easily  be  produced  by  the  water  passing  through  from 
one  basin  to  another  as  it  runs  in  by  a  subterranean  channel  from  one 
of  the  pools  about  the  city. 

By  tapping  the  sides  of  the  cave  a  hollow  sound  is  produced  ;  on 
this  account  the  Moslems  insist  that  it  is  conclusive  evidence  the 
cave  is  suspended ;  but  the  deep  hollow  sound  that  is  heard  is  said  to 
be  caused  from  defects  in  the  plastering. 

The  Mohammedans  think  the  more  causalities  they  can  show  the 
better  the  visitor  is  pleased ;  there  are  other  sacred  spots  about  the 
Mosque  to  which  are  attached  many  legends ;  this  Mosque  is  the  most 
distinguished  of  all  others  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Mohammedans  in 
any  part  of  the  world. 

CALIPH  OMAR. 

The  great  Mosque  at  Damascus,  St.  Sophia's  at  Constantinople,  nor 
the  ones  of  proud  boast  in  Delhi,  India,  can  compete  with  the  Mosque 
of  Omar,  neither  in  grandeur  nor  historic  attachments ;  it  stands  on 
the  memorable  and  time-honored  site  upon  which  stood  the  Temple 
which  was  built  during  the  reign  of  King  Solomon,  and  rebuilt  by 
Zerubbabel  and  Herod  ;  this  sacred  summit  has  been  reverenced  by 
representatives  of  almost  all  nations  who  have  visited  Jerusalem. 
Those  who  entered  within  her  portals  in  triumph  and  those  who 
passed  through  in  a  state  of  humility,  have  alike  been  impressed  while 
beholding  Moriah  the  Mount  of  God's  Temple. 

It  is  said  when  Caliph  Omar  captured  the  city  he  asked  to  be 
conducted  to  the  place  where  the  Jewish  Temple  stood  ;  he  was  taken 
to  the  place,  which  at  that  time  was  a  huge  mound  of  rubbish,  that 
had  been  lying  there  from  the  time  the  sacred  building  was  destroyed 
by  the  army  of  Titus;  Omar  caused  the  ruins,  or  much  of  them,  to 
be  cleared,  and  then  built  the  Mosque  upon  the  same  site  which  bears 
his  name. 

But  as  there  is  so  much  of  the  so-called  history  of  Palestine  drawn 
from  legends  or  false  traditions,  it  is  not  safe  to  accept  everything  we 
read  as  genuine ;  only  those  works  which  have  been  given  to  the  world 
after  proper  investigation  has  been  made  are  worthy  of  acceptance. 


80  ,  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

THK  MOSQUE  OF  EL-AKSA. 

The  building  of  special  attraction  and  importance  in  the  Haram 
enclosure  is  the  Mosque  El-Aksa,  or  the  "  Distant  Mosque;"  it  is 
given  this  name  because  of  its  position  with  reference  to  Mecca;  there 
are  many  opinions  as  to  the  origin  of  this  building,  and  the  matter 
may  never  be  entirely  settled,  but  the  most  prominent  opinion  is,  it 
was  built  by  the  Emperor  Justinian  in  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century, 
in  honor  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

Our  party  stopped  a  few  minutes  in  front  of  the  grand  portico, 
which  is  divided  into  seven  apartments,  covering  the  whole  length  of 
the  building ;  the  great  nave  extends  through  the  centre,  and  is  a 
beautiful  sight  to  behold ;  it  is  separated  by  massive  columns  on  either 
side  and  neatly  painted  arches.  Each  of  these  pillars  bears  the  name 
of  one  of  the  prophets,  or  a  caliph,  to  whom  it  is  especially  dedicated. 

The  nave  has  three  alleys  on  each  side,  one  of  which  is  walled  up 
and  set  off  from  the  body  of  the  other  portion ;  this  is  known  as  the 
women's  apartment ;  it  obstructs  a  view  of  the  entire  sweep  of  the 
interior  without  passing  from  one  side  to  the  other.  As  it  is,  a  fine 
view  can  be  had  of  the  greater  part  of  it. 

When  the  crusadera  captured  Jerusalem  this  Mosque  was  used  as  a 
Christian  church.  Baldwin  II.  occupied  a  part  of  it  for  a  new  mili- 
tary order,  who  from  their  connection  with  the  Temple  site  took  the 
name  of  Knights  Templar ;  they  built  a  wall  in  front  of  the  great 
El-Aksa,  which  they  used  as  a  granary. 

TEMPLE  COUETS  AND  FOUNDATION. 

The  great  Temple  of  Solomon,  according  to  Josephus,  stood  upon 
a  rocky  eminence  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  city,  on  which  at  first 
there  was  scarcely  to  be  found  a  level  space  sufficient  to  bear  an  altar, 
the  sides  being  steep  and  precipitous.  King  Solomon  first  caused  a 
wall  to  be  built  around  the  summit,  and  one  also  on  the  east,  filled  in 
on  the  inside  with  earth,  on  which  he  built  a  covei'ed  colonnade,  and 
left  the  Temple  exposed  on  three  sides.  But  in  process  of  time  the 
whole  of  the  enclosure  was  built  up  and  filled  in  to  the  level  of  the 
hill,  which  in  this  way  was  enlarged  ;  a  three-fold  wall  was  built  up 
from  the  bottom,  and  thus  the  upper  enclosure  and  the  lower  part  of 
the  Temple  were  constructed  ;  it  was  a  wonderful  undertaking,  even  to 
prepare  the  foundations  of  the  Temple  ;  there  was  a  vast  amount  of 
filling  up  to  do  before  the  workmen  could  begin  the  foundation  proper, 
therefore  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  foundations  for  the  Temple 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  81 

were  built  upon  another  foundation  laid  expressly  for  it,  the  whole 
depth  of  which  has  never  been  discovered,  because  they  filled  in  the 
valleys,  wishing  to  level  the  abrupt  places  in  the  city. 

In  proceeding  with  the  work  it  was  necessary  to  secure  it  against 
future  calamities  that  might  arise  from  depressions  or  weakness  of  the 
understructure,  therefore  they  used  massive  stone,  some  of  them  being 
forty  cubits  long  and  bound  together  with  lead  and  iron  into  a  com- 
pact mass,  so  that  the  whole  construction  appeared  almost  as  a  huge 
block  formed  by  nature. 

TEMPLE  COURT. 

The  whole  structure  when  completed  was  enclosed  into  a  square, 
measuring  six  hundred  feet  on  each  side,  or  twenty-four  hundred  feet 
in  circumference  ;  the  interior  of  the  enclosure  was  surrounded  by 
covered  colonnades  along  the  walls  ;  the  portions  which  were  uncov- 
ered were  paved  with  beautiful  variegated  stones. 

It  became  in  after  days  a  great  place  of  resort  for  the  people  in 
Jerusalem  ;  also  for  strangers,  and  finally  it  was  noted  as  a  public 
trading-place,  especially  on  the  approach  of  and  during  the  annual 
festivals.     It  was  commonly  known  as  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  Court  was  an  ornamental  balustrade,  com- 
posed of  large  stones,  six  or  eight  feet  high  ;  this  formed  a  boundary 
of  a  smaller  enclosure,  through  which  foreigners  and  the  unclean  were 
not  permitted  to  pass ;  within  this  was  another  wall  forty  cubits  high 
from  its  foundation,  which  surrounded  the  inner  Court,  and  was  sur- 
rounded on  the  outside  by  fourteen  stone  steps,  which  led  up  to  an 
open  space  about  twenty-five  feet  wide,  from  five  other  steps  which  led 
up  to  the  interior.  There  were  several  gates  through  which  this  Court 
could  be  entered,  the  pi'incipal  of  which  was  on  the  east ;  there  were 
no  gates  on  the  west,  strange  to  say,  but  originally  there  were  three  on 
the  north,  and  three  on  the  south  ;  the  latter  three  were  added  to  these 
three  others  for  women,  one  on  the  east,  north  and  south,  respectively. 
There  was  still  another  enclosure,  which  was  regarded  the  most  sacred 
of  all ;  this  was  within  the  second  Court,  into  which  none  but  the 
priests  were  allowed  to  enter ;  here  within  this  sacred  enclosure  stood 
the  great  Temple. 

THE  TEMPLE. 

The  Temple  was  built  during  the  reign  of  King  Solomon,  but 

preparations  were  made  for  it  long  before  he  was  installed  king  of  the 

Hebrew  nation.     The  whole  plan  had  been  given  to  David  in  detail 

by  God  Himself,  and  the  warlike  .king  made  great  preparations  for  the 

6 


82  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

building ;  but  lie  was  not  permitted  to  build  tbe  sacred  sanctuary 
because  he  was  a  man  of  blood,  and  was  engaged  in  directing  wars 
from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  his  administration. 

The  duty  of  building  rested  on  Solomon  because  there  was  uni- 
versal peace  when  he  took  hold  of  the  sceptre,  the  hostile  enemies 
having  been  subdued  by  the  victorious  arm  of  David.  This  stupen- 
dous structure  was  the  first  house  built  and  dedicated  to  God.  Pre- 
vious to  this  the  people  had  for  their  sanctuar}'  the  ancient  Tabernacle, 
which  was  a  movable  tent. 

The  Temple  superseded  it,  and  was  made  a  permanent  dwelling- 
place  of  the  Most  High,  having  some  of  its  interior  arrangments  after 
the  pattern  of  the  Tabernacle,  but  had  a  greater  capacity ;  the  apart- 
ments were  double  in  size  to  those  of  the  movable  tent,  but  with  this 
additional  enlargement  it  was  very  much  smaller  than  many  of  our 
church  auditoriums  of  the  present  day. 

If  we  consider  this  structure  by  our  standard  of  measurement,  this 
fact  will  be  readily  ascertained.  The  whole  length  of  the  building  was 
only  ninety  feet,  with  a  breadth  of  thirty  feet ;  it  is  therefore  seen  that 
in  point  of  size  it  would  be  classed  with  our  smaller  church  buildings 
of  this  age.  The  great  chamber  was  divided  into  two  parts,  known  as 
the  Hohj  and  the  Holy  of  Holies,  or  the  Most  Holy  Place.  It  had  a 
spacious  porch  in  front,  bordered  by  two  pillars  which  had  no  little 
distinction ;  these  were  Jochin  and  Boaz.  There  were  also  two 
chambers  at  the  sides  which  w^ere  exclusively  for  the  use  of  the 
officiating  priests. 

The  small  size  of  the  Temple  will  not  be  considered  as  inadequate 
to  accommodate  the  great  throng  of  worshipers  who  went  up  to  Jeru- 
salem for  that  express  purpose,  when  we  consider  the  fact  that  it  was 
not  intended  to  hold  a  congregation  for  worship  as  our  church  edifices. 

But  one  of  the  apartments  (the  Most  Holy)  was  exclusively  for  the 
High  Priest  to  enter  to  attend  to  his  official  duties,  and  he  was  only  to 
enter  once  a  year,  officially.  Its  furnishings  consisted  of  the  old  chest 
that  contained  the  two  tables  of  stone  on  which  the  Lord  God  wrote 
the  law,  which  had  been  given  to  ]\Ioses  while  he  stood  upon  the 
quaking  summit  of  Sinai.  It  also  "contained  the  two  colossal- winged 
Cherubim,"  which  were  placed  over  them  with  wings  so  expanded 
as  to  touch  the  wall  on  each  side  of  them. 

In  the  Holy  Place  were  the  tables  on  which  was  placed  the  Shew 
Bread,  the  Altar  of  Burnt  Offerings,  and  some  of  the  furniture  used 
on  great  ceremonial  occasions.  The  Temple,  though  small,  was  the 
richest  building  in  the  world ;  its  fiporing  and  sides  were  lined  with 


ANCIENT  AND   MODERN  JERUSALEM.  83 

pure  gold,  which  made  it  so  brilliant  that  persons  standing  afar  off 
were  charmed  with  its  beauty,  and  the  fame  of  its  splendor  reached 
far  beyond  the  confines  of  the  dominion  of  Constance  to  the  Southern 
Queen. 

OLD  FOUNDATIONS. 

There  are  only  a  few  scattered  remnants  of  the  foundations  of  the 
temples  of  holy  worship,  that  crowned  the  brow  of  Moriah ;  several  of 
those  massive  stone  blocks  that  compose  a  part  of  the  foundation  of  the 
pavement  are  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  and  many  others  are  deeply 
buried  in  the  earth,  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  feet,  which  have  not  as 
yet  been  excavated,  that  formed  a  part  of  the  lower  structures  of  the 
ancient  temple. 

Explorers  are  clearing  away  the  ruins  as  fast  as  they  have  oppor- 
tunities, and  it  is  anticipated  that  they  will  in  some  future  period  have 
the  privilege  of  carrying  on  their  investigations  without  legal  restraint. 
It  is  the  general  opinion  of  those  who  have  been  engaged  in  the  vari- 
ous investigations  of  the  material  they  have  excavated  from  the  deep 
beds  of  debris,  that  much  of  it  belongs  to  the  age  of  Solomon. 

ANCIENT  QUARRIES. 

Some  of  the  blocks  measure  twenty-nine  feet  long  and  are  broad  in 
proportion  ;  the  quarries  from  which  these  huge  blocks  were  cut,  are 
partly  under  the  city  and  are  known  as  Solomon's  quarries ;  the 
entrance  to  them  is  through  a  small  doorway,  hewn  through  the  rock 
beneath  the  north  wall  of  the  city  on  the  outside,  about  one  hundred 
yards  east  of  the  Damascus  gate. 

It  connects  with  a  long,  steep  incline  passage,  that  leads  to  a  number 
of  broader  aisles,  opening  into  many  great  caverns,  which  are  con- 
nected by  wide  hallways  in  all  directions ;  there  are  several  of  these 
caverns,  which  have  not  yet  been  explored  and  may  not  be  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  As  far  as  the  investigations  of  the  quarries  have  pro- 
ceeded, satisfactory  developments  have  led  the  investigators  to  the  con- 
clusion, they  must  have  been  the  ancient  quarries  from  which  much  of 
the  material  was  gotton  for  the  first  temple.  It  is  without  doubt  a 
marvelous  place,  and  bears  prominent  marks  of  those  instruments  used 
for  hewing  stone  in  antique  times.  There  are  many  niches  to  be  seen 
in  these  rocky  chambers,  out  of  which  large  blocks  were  cut,  which 
correspond  exactly  with  the  stones  now  seen  in  the  walls  of  the  Haram 
and  other  places  about  its  enclosure  ;  it  is  thought  if  they  were  taken 
over  to  the  quarries,  some  of  them  would  fit  in  the  niches  as  compactly 


84  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

as  if  they  had  only  been  removed  from  there  a  comparatively  short 
while. 

These  ancient  quarries  have  become  so  noted  they  are  generally 
visited  by  tourists  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  greedy  Turks  who  are  always 
seeking  to  take  advantage  of  sight-seers,  keep  the  entrance  door  locked 
and  compel  every  one  who  is  admitted  to  pay  a  fee  of  at  least  fifty 
cents ;  great  caution  must  be  observed  by  all  who  enter  the  quarries, 
on  account  of  the  accidents  to  which  they  are  liable ;  many  have 
occurred,  and  some  proved  fatal. 

In  every  case  a  guide  is  indispensable,  and  he  must  be  a  man  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  the  complicated  avenues  which  run  in  every 
direction,  or  he  will  be  incompetent  for  the  task  ;  the  whole  place  is  as 
dark  as  midnight  (when  thick  clouds  cover  the  heavens)  and  very 
rough  to  walk  through  ;  sometimes  a  step  to  the  right  or  left,  when 
passing  into  some  of  the  caverns,  would  precipitate  one  into  a  deep 
dell  from  which  he  could  not  extricate  himself. 

It  was  a  source  of  great  dread  to  me,  the  day  we  visited  those  deep 
underground  chambers,  fearing  some  calamity  might  be  awaiting  us 
there  But,  having  a  careful  and  experienced  guide,  we  were  prop- 
erly cared  for  and  gratifyingly  informed ;  we  provided  ourselves  with 
candles  and  matches  (without  which  the  visit  would  be  useless),  and 
started  to  view  some  of  the  under-ground  wonders  of  Jerusalem  ;  there 
may  be  seen  man}'^  places  where  pillars  and  blocks  have  been  nearly 
cut  out  and  abandoned  before  completed  ;  it  is  generally  believed,  that 
the  master  inspector  found  a  flaw  in  them  and  ordered  the  workmen 
to  leave  them.  Another  opinion  is  that  there  was  no  more  material 
found  such  as  that  they  were  preparing  or  as  was  needed,  hence  they 
left  their  work  in  a  half-finished  condition ;  there  are  columns  still 
lying  about  the  quarries,  seemingly  without  a  flaw,  except  a  little  time- 
worn  ;  others  are  broken. 

It  came  to  my  mind,  there  must  have  been  a  great  noise  down  in 
those  dai'k  caverns,  while  the  hundreds  of  men  were  busilj'^  at  work 
preparing  the  stones  for  the  great  temple,  the  dwelling-place  of  the 
Almighty  ;  hammer,  chisel  and  the  heavy  sledge  must  have  made  the 
whole  place  a  scene  of  life  and  bustle. 

But  the  tumult,  however  loud  during  those  busy  days,  could  not  be 
compared  with  the  mournful  noise  which  took  place  here,  when  our 
Lord  expired  on  the  cross,  and  every  rock  throughout  this  ancient 
quarry  sent  forth  an  expression  of  sympathy,  when  they  were  every- 
where broken. 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  85 

JERUSALEM. 

The  best  authors  who  have  written  on  the  history  of  ancient  Jeru- 
salem are  inclined  to  the  opinion,  its  name  is  the  compound  of  two 
words,  which  taken  separately  composed  the  names  of  the  two  towns, 
which  were  afterwards  blended  into  one ;  these  were  Jebus  and  Salem, 
the  former  was  situated  on  Mt.  Zion,  and  was  the  stronghold  of  the 
Jebusites,  who  were  a  people  noted  for  their  ability  in  warfare  and 
belonged  to  the  Hametic  race. 

The  latter  was  situated  in  the  lower  land,  between  Zion  and  Moriah, 
also  inhabited  by  the  Jebusites.  Here  Melchisedek,  a  priest  of  the  "  Most 
High  God  lived,"  in  the  days  "  when  Abraham  returned  from  the 
slaughter ; "  others  are  of  the  opinion  the  territory  of  the  Holy  City 
was  formerly  called  Jebus,  and  afterwards  called  Jerusalem  or  "  Salem 
of  Jebus."  This  name  is  said  to  have  been  given  the  city  after  the 
Israelites  had  settled  in  the  eastern  portion  of  it. 

JERUSALEM  AND  JEBUS  CAPTURED. 

This  portion  of  the  land  was  allotted  to  Benjamin ;  yet  that  tribe 
did  not  fully  possess  it  for  five  hundred  years  after  it  w^as  given  them. 
The  Jebusites  held  it  with  unyielding  grasp ;  and  it  was  not  until  King 
David's  time  that  they  yielded  to  Israel.  The  mighty  monarch  of  the 
new  nation  was  determined  to  take  possession  of  the  hill  Jebus,  or  Mt. 
Zion,  as  it  has  been  known,  since  the  conquest,  and  sent  an  army  of  two 
hundred  thousand  against  them. 

The  Jebusites,  jilacing  unbounded  confidence  in  themselves,  felt 
absolutely  secure  against  any  attack  the  Israelites  might  make  ; 
they  offered  no  resistance,  but  simply  laughed  at  them,  and  to  show 
how  little  and  insignificant  the  Army  of  David  was  in  their  estimation, 
the  Jebusites  sent  their  halt  and  blind  to  defend  them,  and  then  made 
light  of  Israel  because  of  their  ineflfectual  attempt  to  stoim  what  they 
supposed  to  be  their  impregnable  stronghold. 

But  the  persistent  Joab  felt  confident  of  success  and  continued  the 
struggle  with  renewed  determination,  rallying  and  encouraging  his 
undaunted  army  constantly,  until  at  length  the  ramparts  of  the  Jebu- 
sites were  scaled  and  Jebus  was  in  David's  possession,  who  immediately 
fortified  it  and  built  his  palace  there ;  henceforth  the  name  of  the  place 
was  changed  to  the  City  of  David,  and  was  made  the  chief  city  of  the 
Hebrew  nation  until  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  sudden  flood  of  glory  poured  upon 
Jerusalem  after  it  was  made  the  permanent  resting-place  of  the  Ark 


86  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

of  God,  so  that  it  became  the  pride  of  the  nation  and  federal  seat  of 
divine  worship ;  the  king  who  had  his  seat  of  government  at  Hebron 
caused  it  to  be  transferred  to  his  own  city  and  lived  there  himself  for 
thirty-three  years  in  almost  perpetual  uninterrupted  prosperity,  not- 
withstanding the  wars  he  was  engaged  in. 

During  the  reign  of  Solomon,  David's  son  and  successor,  Jerusalem 
reached  its  zenith  in  splendor  and  glory ;  his  father,  not  being  permitted 
to  build  the  Temple,  left  an  immense  treasure  of  gold,  silver  and  other 
valubles  to  assist  in  the  erection  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  ;  there  was 
no  barrier  in  the  way  of  Solomon  that  would  interfere  with  him  in 
proceeding  with  the  work,  as  the  people  who  had  so  greatly  troubled 
Israel  and  were  constantly  warring  against  this  new  nation,  had  all 
been  subdued ;  so  that  Solomon  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  in 
the  time  of  peace,  having  the  most  powerful  nations  in  alliance  with 
him,  and  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the  royalty  of  Egypt. 

The  King  of  Tyre,  who  had  subjects  skilled  in  the  work  of  fine 
arts,  was  in  close  friendship  with  him  and  rendered  great  assistance  to 
the  Hebrew  nation,  by  building  vessels  for  naval  and  commercial  pur- 
poses. But  above  all  God  blessed  him  with  wisdom  superior  to  all 
others  in  his  day  and  qualified  him  for  the  duties  of  his  responsible 
office ;  for  wisdom  and  peace  properly  observed  will  bring  success  to 
any  one. 

Many  bitter  ages  have  passed  into  eternity  since  the  glory  of 
Solomon  first  adorned  Jerusalem  ;  the  plowshare  of  devastation  has 
robbed  it  of  its  primitive  physical  splendor,  yet  there  are  still  to  be 
seen  a  few  scattered  remnants  of  antiquity,  which  indicate  her  past 
glory  to  those  anxious  travelers  of  to-day  who  are  so  often  found 
amongst  these  ancient  ruins,  seeking  some  new  revelation  of  the  Jerusa- 
lem in  the  time  of  David,  Solomon  and  others 

Although  the  glory  of  Jerusalem  has  long  since  departed  and  noth- 
ing remains  of  the  splendor  with  which  she  was  first  adorned  but  a  few 
faint  emblems  worn  by  time  and  defaced  by  the  heavy  sieges  of  warfare 
she  has  encountered,  yet  thousands  of  the  most  intellectual  and  pro- 
gressive people  of  our  world  visit  the  Holy  City  to  behold  the  faded 
glories  of  Israel's  most  illustrious  king  as  it  dimly  shines  from  the 
granite  pillars  and  blocks  of  stone  in  the  dark  halls  and  in  the  subter- 
ranean chambers,  where  not  a  single  ray  of  sunlight  has  ever  entered, 
and  among  the  tombs  or  anywhere  that  an  indication  points  to 
antiquity  ;  can  it  be  astonishing  then,  that  if  men  of  to-day  travel  so  far 
to  see  but  the  shadow  of  the  sjilendor  of  Jerusalem,  that  the  Queen 
of  the  South  should  come  from  her  distant  home,  to  see  the  glory  of 


ANCIENT   AND  MODERN   JERUSALEM.  87 

Solomon  and  the  splendors  of  the  Temple,  when  it  it  was  fresh  and 
dazzling  ? 

Then  the  whole  city  was  aglow  with  its  unclouded  grandeur,  the 
glory  of  the  illuminated  Moriah,  and  all  the  other  buildings  within 
and  without  the  Temple  enclosure ;  Mt.  Zion  was  crowned  with  the 
stately  palace  of  the  king,  whose  style  and  beauty  could  not  be  ex- 
celled ;  then  the  great  bridge  that  united  Zion  and  Moriah  added 
greatly  to  ithe  glory  and  grandeur  of  the  city. 

These  and  many  other  additional  embellishments  made  Jerusalem 
the  most  beautiful  and  inviting  city  in  the  world.  But  after  the  death 
of  Solomon  the  glory  of  the  Holy  City  began  to  decline  rapidly ;  and 
although  it  had  been  the  chief  seat  of  law  and  religious  devotion  of  the 
Hebrew  nation  for  seventy-five  years,  it  was  compelled  to  yield  to  the 
dominant  sway  of  secession,  and  divide  her  political  and  religious 
strength  with  the  northern  kingdom. 

Ten  of  the  twelve  tribes  had  revolted  against  Rehoboam  and 
elected  and  installed  Jeroboam  to  the  Monarchy  of  Israel,  who  stimu- 
lated the  worship  of  idols  throughout  the  kingdom;  there  seems  to 
have  been  no  permanent  rest  for  Jerusalem  after  her  decline  began 
from  the  attacks  of  hostile  foes ;  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar three  times,  whose  relentless  hand  seemed  not  to  tire  in  adminis- 
tering heavy  strokes  of  intense  hatred  upon  its  people,  whom  he  deeply 
humiliated.  It  was  also  captured  by  the  Chaldeans,  who  took  King 
Zedekiah  into  custody,  slew  his  two  sons  in  his  presence,  then  led  him 
into  captivity  to  Babylon,  and  there  put  out  both  his  eyes  and  left  him 
blind  and  defenceless  ;  not  long  afterwards  the  Holy  City,  the  place  so 
proudly  beloved,  was  sacked  and  emptied  of  its  immense  treasures  ;  its 
walls  were  razed  to  the  ground  and  the  inhabitants  carried  away  into 
captivity,  in  which  state  they  continued  seventy  years. 

It  was  written,  "  God  brought  upon  them  the  King  of  the  Chal- 
deans, who  slew  their  young  with  the  sword  in  the  house  of  their 
sanctuary,  and  had  no  compassion  on  their  young  men  nor  maidens, 
old  men,  or  him  that  stood  for  ages.  He  gave  them  unto  his  hand, 
and  all  the  vessels  of  the  house  of  God,  great  and  small,  and  the 
treasures  of  the  kingdom,  and  his  princes,  all  these  he  brought  to 
Babylon.  And  they  burned  the  house  of  God,  and  broke  down  the 
w^alls  of  Jerusalem,  and  burned  the  palaces  thereof  and  destroyed  all 
the  goodly  vessels  thereof,  and  those  who  escaped  the  sword  carried  he 
away  to  Babylon,  where  they  were  servants  to  him  and  his  sons  until 
the  reign  of  the  King  of  Persia." 

The  INIost  High  bore  long  and  patiently  with  the  rebellious  Israel- 


88  THE  LAND  OF   PKOMISE. 

ites,  whose  ingratitude  became  more  prominent  as  they  increased  in 
prosperity,  until  they  had  thrown  off  almost  all  their  obligations  to 
Him,  and  even  worshiped  gods  after  the  order  of  the  heathen  round 
about  them  ;  therefore,  when  they  would  no  longer  be  admonished  by 
prosperity  nor  adversity  to  honor  and  serve  God,  He  allowed  one 
scourge  after  another  in  hasty  succession  to  afflict  and  distress  them ; 
but  this  chastisement  seemed  not  to  be  competent  to  cause  them  to 
return  to  the  God  of  their  fathers  and  fully  renounce  the  gods  of  the 
heathen.  In  several  instances  they  had  kings  to  reign  over  them  who 
were  filled  with  pride  and  selfishness,  and  had  no  fondness  for  the 
observance  of  the  true  worshi}),  and  continually  led  the  people  into 
deeper  transgressions.  For  three  hundred  years  these  wicked  kings 
ruled  the  people,  except  a  few,  such  as  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Uzziah, 
Hezekiah  and  Josiah,  under  whom  the  city  had  a  state  of  prosperity, 
and  the  worship  at  the  Temple  was  duly  celebrated. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Hebrews  laid  the  foundation  of  their  own 
destruction.  In  the  first  place,  the  nation  gave  itself  a  deadly  blow 
when  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  took  place.  "  A  house  divided  against 
itself  cannot  stand."  While  the  two  kingdoms  were  contending  against 
each  other,  the  enemy  made  it  opportune  to  come  up  with  triumphant 
success  against  them. 

Then  there  was  not  only  a  decline  of  material  prosperity  with  the 
people,  but  their  liberty  was  checked,  and  they  found  themselves  under 
a  sceptre  of  a  foreign  sovereignty  ;  thus  the  brilliant  history  of  the 
people  of  Israel,  that  had  attracted  all  nations,  suddenly  changed  and 
became  a  story  of  horror  and  shame.  It  seems  that  for  a  time  every 
nation's  arm  was  outstretched  against  them :  the  Egyptians,  the 
Assyrians,  the  Chaldeans,  the  Persians,  the  Romans,  the  Ethiopians, 
the  Syrians,  the  Philistines,  the  Arabians  and  Turks. 

The  religious  sects  known  as  Mohammedans,  who  are  composed  of 
several  different  people,  all  in  their  turn  at  various  periods  have  set 
themselves  in  hostility  against  that  once  highly-favored,  prosperous 
people,  all  of  whom  have  done  something  to  assist  in  making  the  situ- 
ation of  the  Hebrews  more  oj^pressive.  As  to  the  Holy  City,  it  was 
reduced  to  ruins,  in  which  state  it  remained  for  seventy  years. 

But  at  length  the  period  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
came,  Cyrus'  permission  to  the  Jews  to  return  home,  and  also  the  priv- 
ilege to  rebuild  their  devastated  city,  its  walls  and  temple,  promising 
to  restore  the  golden  and  silver  vessels  which  Nebuchadnezzar  carried 
away  when  he  captured  the  city,  but  this  was  not  done  until  the  reign 
of  Darius. 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  89 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  Jerusalem  remained  under  the  Persian 
Empire  until  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  when  this  most  dis- 
tinguished warrior  had  conquered  the  Persian  monarch,  and  brought 
the  government  under  his  own  jurisdiction  ;  he  came  up  a;4ainst  Phoe- 
nicia, and  all  the  countries  round  about  that  had  not  peaceably  sub- 
mitted to  him ;  feeling  the  need  of  more  men,  he  sent  to  the  High 
Priest,  who  was  also  Governor  of  Jerusalem,  for  troops,  and  having 
been  refused  he  became  very  angry,  and  swore  he  w^ould  visit  Jeru- 
salem with  vengeance. 

He  proceeded  with  a  large  army  to  carry  out  his  purpose,  but  a 
marvelous  event  occurred  which  changed  his  intention.  It  is  said, 
Alexander  had  reached  the  heights  overlooking  the  city,  and  as  he 
looked  over  the  city  he  saw  a  glittering  procession  extending  from  the 
mountain  to  the  very  gates  of  the  city ;  the  people  were  clothed  in 
white  garments,  coming  out  to  meet  him,  led  by  their  High  Priest, 
himself  clothed  in  his  purple,  and  wearing  on  his  bi'east  a  golden  plate, 
upon  which  was  written  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

They  bowed  to  the  conqueror,  put  their  necks  at  his  feet  and  prayed 
for  mercy ;  the  humility  of  the  people  struck  Alexander  with  both  awe 
and  compassion,  so  that  he  at  once  adored  the  name  of  Jehovah,  saluted 
the  High  Priest,  and  offered  sacrifices  in  the  Temple,  and  the  people 
were  saved  from  the  destructive  calamity  about  to  be  administered 
upon  them. 

ALEXANDER  AND  ANTIOCHUS. 

But  when  Antiochus,  King  of  Syria,  plundered  Jerusalem,  he  was 
not  so  merciful  as  Alexander,  but  to  satisfy  his  bloodthirsty  appetite, 
he  caused  thirty  thousand  men  to  be  put  to  death,  demolished  their 
walls,  and  abolished  their  religion.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  promi- 
nently seen  defending  the  Hebrews  and  giving  them  wonderful  success, 
even  for  a  long  time  after  they  had  largely  turned  themselves  from 
Him.  and  placed  their  affections  upon  strange  gods. 

But  when  they  had  entirely  forsaken  Him,  and  would  not  be 
admonished  to  return.  He  left  them  to  be  driven  from  home  and  dis- 
persed throughout  the  whole  world. 

THE  GREAT  SLAUGHTER. 

The  monarchs  who  ruled  the  Hebrews  after  the  death  of  Alexan- 
der were  the  Ptolemies  of  Egypt ;  these  kings  swayed  the  sceptre  of 
power  over  Jerusalem  two  hundred  and  fifty  years ;  they  were  kindly 
disposed  toward  the  people,  and  favored  them  in  many  ways,  during 


90  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

which  time  they  enjoyed  a  good  degree  of  prosperity,  but  in  the  second 
century  before  Christ,  Autiochus  Epijjhanes  entered  and  captured 
Jerusalem,  who,  after  plundering  it,  defiled  the  Temple. 

About  two  years  later  he  sent  his  general,  Apollonius,  to  complete 
the  barbarous  work  he  had  begun.  The  Israelites  were  a  remarkably 
superstitious  jieople  as  to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  Avould 
suffer  the  most  cruel  impositions  rather  than  violate  its  sanctity.  To 
engage  in  a  combat,  even  with  their  most  inveterate  foes,  on  that  day, 
was  in  their  estimation  an  unpardonable  sin ;  Apollonius,  having  a 
knowledge  of  this,  took  a  most  disgraceful  advantage  of  their  scruples, 
and  embraced  the  opportunity  to  administer  wholesale  destruction  to 
them  ;  he  turned  loose  his  army  amongst  the  people  on  the  Sabbath 
day ;  all  the  able-bodied  men  were  put  to  death,  and  the  poor  defence- 
less women  and  children  were  sold  into  slavery.  Apollonius  then 
ordered  a  garrison  to  be  placed  on  Mt.  Zion,  and  would  not  allow 
priest  nor  people,  to  enter  the  sacred  domains  of  the  Temple,  so 
that  the  sacrifice  of  oblation  ceased,  and  the  city,  in  which  the 
services  of  the  Lord  were  chanted,  became  desolate  ;  and  the  Temple, 
the  sacred  emblem  of  the  presence  of  the  God  of  Israel,  was  dedicated 
to  Jupiter  Olympus ;  and  the  altar,  which  had  been  devoted  to  those 
sacrifices  that  the  Lord  commanded  should  be  offered,  was  polluted 
with  idolatrous  offerings.  In  the  process  of  time,  a  priestly  family 
apj^eared,  known  as  the  Asmoneans  :  they  rose  up  in  their  might  to 
expel  these  idolaters  from  their  land,  and  vindicate  the  honor  of  their 
God  by  doing  all  they  could  to  re-establish  His  services. 

This  attempt  introduced  a  terrible  combat,  which  lasted  twenty-six 
years.  Judas  MaccabiBus  and  his  brethren,  carried  on  the  war  with 
the  Syrians  until  they  had  broken  off  the  yoke  which  had  galled  the 
people  so  long,  and  established  their  independence ;  then  a  new  and 
joyful  era  dawned  upon  them.  Israel  being  free  once  more  from  a  dis- 
tressing bondage,  which  had  been  a  thorn  in  their  flesh  for  many 
years,  again  breathed  the  air  of  peace  and  liberty. 

About  the  year  thirty-four,  before  Christ,  the  last  prince  of  the 
Asmonean  line  was  slain  by  the  Roman  General  of  Syria,  and  Herod 
the  Great  was  installed  King  of  the  Jews.  He  was  born  in  Idumea, 
and  was  by  no  means  kindly  disposed  toward  his  subjects,  but  did 
whatsoever  he  chose,  without  compunction  ;  such  was  his  rigid  rul- 
ings, the  poor  Jews  often  smarted  under  his  iron  sceptre ;  many  times 
their  religious  freedom  was  taken  from  them  because  of  his  fondness 
for  idolatrous  worship ;  notwithstanding  all  these  things,  Herod,  it  is 
said,  was  not  entirely  wanting  in  a  few  pleasant  characteristics  which 


^■■■■■■1  v  .  '  '^"1 V  *. '  / 

W^m 

ilHI 

2^  ^ 

m  ^m 

iffii 

ui 

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Pi  Hr 

■K^^.^IH 

H  91 

Biiij 

m^ 

o 

N 
h 

D 
O 


ANCIENT  AND   MODERN  JERUSALEM.  91 

Avere  commendable.  He  had  a  special  regard  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
kingdom,  and  did  much  to  advance  it ;  many  large  and  prosperous 
cities  were  built  and  beautified  during  his  reign.  The  most  important 
work  he  did  was  rebuilding  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  ;  it  was  begun  in 
the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  and  notwithstanding  the  principal 
portion  of  it  was  completed  in  nine  years,  the  whole  building  was  not 
completed  until  the  end  of  the  forty-sixth  year,  the  beauty  and  gran- 
deur of  which  were  of  the  most  lavish  character.  Now  it  is  plain 
to  all,  who  have  a  knowledge  of  Jewish  history,  tljey  had  many  sore 
afflictions,  mostly  brought  upon  them  by  reason  of  their  own  mal con- 
duct, and  one  disaster  after  another  overshadowed  them  after  they  had 
disregarded  all  the  opportunities  God  gave  them  to  adhere  to  his  pre- 
cepts. 

But  the  end  of  their  troubles  had  not  been  reached  :  a  gushing 
fountain  of  dire  calamities  was  lurking  in  their  path,  which  they 
could  not  shun  ;  calamities,  which  the  mountains  and  valleys  round 
about  Jerusalem,  could  they  speak,  would  unfold  a  scene  that  has  never 
been  described  by  the  pen  of  the  most  graphic  writers  our  world  has 
produced. 

And  could  the  dead  who  have  been  sleeping  so  long  in  those  ancient 
sepulchres  about  the  city,  rise  up  from  their  silent  homes  and  speak, 
they  would  declare  a  history  that  our  sensibilities  could  not  endure. 
Mt.  Zion,  which  at  times,  has  been  the  very  centre  of  commotion,  blood- 
shed and  slaughter,  from  whose  summit  the  blood  of  thousands,  ran  in 
streams  into  the  valley  below,  would  detail  some  of  the  most  shocking 
accounts  of  human  sufferings  known  to  the  world.  (John  ii.  20 ; 
Matt.  XXV.  1,  2.) 

ZION   AGAIN   THE  CENTRE   LIGHT. 

But  it  is  noteworthy  to  state,  that  upon  the  very  mount  which  Avas 
the  scene  of  appalling  calamities,  is  now  the  very  centre  of  gospel 
influence  in  Jerusalem.  Zion  has  again  lifted  herself  from  the  dust, 
and  put  on  her  beautiful  garments  ;  upon  her  brow  stands  a  Christian 
church,  whose  good  work  cannot  be  discounted  by  any  who  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  attending  service  there,  especially  on 
the  Sabbath,  It  is  situated  but  a  short  distance  from  the  traditional 
Coenaculum,  or  the  upper  chamber  in  which  our  Lord  took  the  pass- 
over  with  his  disciples,  and  where  they  had  assembled  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  when  suddenly  the  Holy  Spirit  came  upon  them,  and  gave 
them  courage  to  go  forth  "preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  "  and   lifting  up  the  people  from  sin  to  righteousuess.     If  it  is 


92  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

really  the  true  site  of  the  Coenaculum,  the  identical  spot  on  which 
stood  the  house  the  disciples  were  in,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  came  upon 
them,  how  significant  that  the  same  hill  should  be  chosen  for  the 
renewal  of  the  work,  begun  near  the  same  spot  nearly  two  thousand 
years  ago  ! 

And  how  strikingly  applicable  are  the  words  of  the  prophet,  who 
says :  "Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength,  O  Zion,  put  on  thy  beau- 
tiful garments  :  O  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city,  for  henceforth  there  shall 
no  more  come  unto  thee  the  uncircumcised  and  the  unclean ;  shake 
thyself  from  the  dust,  arise,  sit  down,  O  Jerusalem,  loose  thyself  from 
the  bands  of  thy  neck,  O  captive  daughter  of  Zion." 

We  earnestly  trust  the  time  is  now  at  their  door  when  the  fulfill- 
ment of  this  prophecy  will  be  realized,  and  Jerusalem  will  be  fully 
redeemed.     (Isa.  liii.  2). 

Then  will  be  seen  as  never  before,  "  how  beautiful  upon  the  moun- 
tains are  the  feet  of  them  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publisheth 
peace,  that  saith  unto  Zion  thy  God  reigneth."  "  Break  forth  into 
joy,  sing  together,  ye  waste  places  of  Jerusalem,  for  the  Lord  hath 
comforted  his  people,  he  hath  redeemed  Jerusalem." 

Zion  seems  to  have  been  from  the  time  it  was  taken  by  David  until 
now,  the  most  distinguished  and  preferable  portion  of  the  Holy  City. 
Zion  was  chosen  as  the  most  fitting  place  for  the  king's  palace ; 
from  it  went  forth  the  law ;  on  Zion  was  the  site  of  the  shrine  of 
the  sanctuary,  which  had  been  for  a  long  time  in  exile,  and  with 
tumultuous  shouts  it  was  set  up.  Mt  Zion  became,  henceforth,  even 
after  the  temple  was  built  on  INIt.  Moriah,  and  the  ark  was  trans- 
ferred, the  royal  symbol  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  His  church.  Mt. 
Zion  seems  to  have  been  selected  as  the  most  appropriate  place  for 
a  residence  of  the  High  Priest ;  on  it  tradition  says  the  palace  of 
Caiaphas  stood  to  which  our  Lord  was  taken  on  the  morning  of  his 
betrayal.  On  Zion,  Kings  David,  Solomon,  and  others  of  the  royal 
line  were  laid  to  rest,  and  upon  the  rocky  summit  of  Zion,  the  old 
historic  Tower  of  David,  is  still  standing,  the  most  important  relic  of 
the  once  strongly  fortified  mountain. 

Zion  is  the  first  of  the  city  to  be  seen  on  approaching  Jerusalem, 
west  or  east,  and  the  last  to  hide  from  view,  when  leaving  it.  It  is  the 
first  in  height,  importance  and  size.  It  occupies  the  southwestern 
section  of  the  city  and  extends  much  farther  south  than  Moriah  ;  the 
west  and  southwest  rise  up  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  valley  of 
Hinnom  to  the  astonishing  height  of  from  three  to  four  hundred  feet 
above   it,  having  a  bold  brow  on  the  south ;  while  on  the  east,  is  a 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  JERUSALEM.  93 

gradual  descent  into  the  Tyropoean  Valley  toAvards  the  south  ;  on  the 
north  side  the  descent  is  very  much  steeper  until  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  Haram,  where  the  incline  is  more  gradual. 

On  the  north  Zion  is  bounded  by  David  street  It  is  stated,  that 
Mt.  Zion  was,  before  the  many  disasters  that  have  so  often  dismantled,  a 
level  tract,  extending  from  the  citadel  of  David  to  his  tomb,  embracing 
about  six  hundred  yards  from  the  city  wall,  in  length,  and  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  in  width,  from  the  city  wall  to  the  west  side  of  the 
Armenian  Convent,  and  was  the  first  part  of  Jerusalem  on  which 
buildings  were  built. 

Upon  it,  as  has  been  stated,  the  Jebusites,  whom  the  Israelites  found 
to  be  so  hard  to  subdue,  had  their  stronghold,  from  which  the  army  of 
David  had  much  difficulty  to  rout  them.  The  kings  of  Judah  lived 
on  Mt.  Zion,  for  more  than  five  hundred  years,  and  it  is  believed  that 
fourteen  of  them  were  buried  there,  David  being  the  first. 

Zion  was  the  last  portion  of  the  city  to  surrender  to  the  vicious  and 
inhuman  attack  of  the  Romans,  under  the  generalship  of  Titus ;  it 
was  some  time  after  the  other  portions  of  the  city  had  been  burned  to 
ashes  and  the  courts  of  the  Temple  had  been  garrisoned  by  the  inva- 
ders, that  the  remnant  of  the  Jews,  who  were  in  the  stronghold  of 
Zion,  submitted  to  the  Romans,  and  perished  around  the  palace  and 
tombs  of  the  kings.  This  is  the  most  historic  mountain  in  Jerusalem. 
(See  Num.  xiii.  29  ;  Josh.  xv.  63 ;  Judges  i.  21  ;  2  Sam.  v.  5-8.) 

MT.  MORIAH  AND  DAVID'S  SIN. 

The  next  mountain  in  importance  as  to  size,  elevation  and  c'on- 
spicuousness,  and  the  one  that  has  the  first  place  in  religious  distinc- 
tion, is  Mt.  Moriah  ;  this  is  the  identical  hill  on  which  Oman  the 
Jebusite  and  descendant  of  Canaan,  the  son  of  Ham,  had  his  threshing 
floor ;  it  is  well  worthy  of  special  mention,  that  this  man's  threshing 
floor  was  the  onlj^  place  in  Jerusalem  that  our  Lord  seemed  not  to 
frown  upon,  during  His  administration  of  an  alarming  and  disastrous 
rebuke  to  King  David  ,for  his  flagrant  disobedience,  in  that  he  num- 
bered the  people  of  his  kingdom,  notwithstanding  the  Lord  commanded 
him  not  to  do  so.  The  Lord  pungently  rebuked  David;  by  sending  a 
devouring  plague  throughout  the  kingdom,  which  was  killing  the  peo- 
ple at  the  astonishing  rate  of  seventy  thousand  a  day.  Then  was  the 
king  greatly  troubled  and  earnestly  prayed  to  the  Lord  that  He  would 
remove  the  plague ;  there  suddenly  appeared  an  Angel  of  the  Lord, 
hovering  over  the  threshing  floor  of  Oman  with  his  arms  uplifted  as  if 
he  was  about  to  destroy  the  city.     David  in  a  state  of  great  humilia- 


94  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

tiou,  confessed  his  siu ;  and  a  prophet,  under  the  direction  of  the  Lord, 
told  the  king  to  go  to  the  spot  where  the  angel  had  been  seen  and 
build  an  altar  there  unto  the  Lord. 

David  gladly  obeyed  and  lost  no  time  in  putting  into  effectual 
operation  the  advice  given  him  by  the  prophet.  When  he  had  gone 
to  the  threshing  floor,  and  made  known  the  object  of  his  mission  to 
Oman  the  Jebusite,  and  offered  him  a  large  sum  for  the  needed  pre- 
paration, the  Hamite  refused  to  accept  any  amount  the  king  oflered 
him,  but  willingly  and  gladly  oflered  them  to  the  king  free  of  charge. 
The  offer  he  made  the  king  was  the  timber,  which  was  his  threshing 
instruments,  and  oxen  for  tlie  sacrifice. 

This  generous  ofler  the  king  refused  as  a  gift,  stating,  that  he  would 
not  offer  to  the  Lord  that  which  cost  him  nothing  ;  he,  therefore,  bought 
the  oxen  for  fifty  shekels  of  silver,  which  amounted  to  about  twenty- 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ;  he  also  paid  for  the  whole  place  six  hun- 
dred shekels  in  gold,  or  about  four  thousand,  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  dollars. 

Then  he  offered  his  sacrifice,  which  the  Lord  accepted,  and  stayed 
the  fury  of  the  plague  ;  in  after  years  the  spot,  which  was  the  property 
of  a  farmer  who  was  of  the  Hamitic  race,  was  chosen  for  the  site  on 
which  the  Temple  of  the  Lord  should  be  built,  and  where  multitudes 
of  Hebrews  came  with  their  numerous  sacrifices  to  present  to  the  Lord 
of  hosts. 

INIoriah  is  the  place  also  to  which,  most  historians  are  of  the  opinion, 
Abraham  came  with  his  son,  the  child  of  the  promise,  to  offer  him  as 
a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord.  This  Mount  is  separated  from  Zion  by  the 
Tyropoean  valley,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  small  depression, 
supposed  to  be  the  site  of  the  Berket  Israel.  The  portion  of  the  I'idge 
that  extends  southward  from  Moriah  to  the  connection  of  the  Tyropoean 
and  Kedron  valleys,  at  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  was  called  Ophel. 

Here  lived  the  Nethimims ;  these  people  were  Gibeonites  and  were 
set  apart  as  sacred  servants  of  the  Lord's  house ;  they  seemed  to  have 
greatly  multiplied  in  after  years ;  there  were  a  few  amongst  the  cap- 
tive Jews  in  Babylon,  and  who  it  is  thought  settled  near  the  Caspian 
Sea.  (2  Sam.  xxiv.  24  ;  1  Chron.  xxi.  25  ;  1  Kings  ix.  20-21 ;  1  Chron. 
ix.  2 ;  Neh.  iii.  26  and  vii.  46,  60,  73.) 

MT.   AKRA. 

There  are  two  other  mountains  of  which  no  mention  is  made  in  the 
Bible,  that  are  connected  with  the  Holy  City,  and  should  not  be  passed 
without  being  mentioned  here.     In  the  time  of  Josephus,  Jerusalem 


ANCIENT  AND  MODEKN  JERUSALEM.  95 

was  divided  iuto  two  parts,  known  as  the  upper  and  lower  city ;  the 
former  was  commonly  known  as  the  City  of  David,  and  was  located 
principally  on  Mt.  Ziou. 

The  latter  was  situated  on  Mt.  Akra,  and  from  the  present  indica- 
tions was  an  important  business  centre,  where  the  various  industries  were 
fully  displayed;  it  was  separated  from  Ziou  by  the  Tyropwan  valley, 
or  that  portion  of  it  that  ran  from  west  to  east  along  the  course  of  the 
present  David  Street,  it  was  on  the  north  of  Zion  and  embraced  the 
present  Christian  quarter,  and  the  space  which  is  occupied  by  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

Josephus  says  Mt.  Akra  was  at  one  time  much  higher  than  at 
present,  but  was  leveled  in  the  time  of  the  Asmoneans  so  that  the 
Temple  might  be  seen  above  it  to  a  better  advantage  than  formerly.  A 
tradition  of  many  centuries  locates  Mt.  Calvary,  on  the  summit  of 
Akra,  just  as  Pisgah  is  on  the  top  of  Mt.  Nebo  ;  and  the  relation  the 
present  city  sustains  to  it  has  caused  many  and  uncompromising  con- 
troversies as  to  its  being  identical  with  the  scene  of  the  crucifixion  of 
our  Lord. 

Indeed,  many  persistently  ignoi'e  the  idea  of  its  having  any  connec- 
tion with  it  whatever ;  the  matter  has  been  under  a  process  of  investi- 
gation for  a  long  time,  and  may  be  permanently  settled  soon. 

MOUNTS  BEZETHA  AND  CALVARY. 

The  fourth  mountain  within  the  walls  is  Bezetha,  which  also  has 
been  brought  into  prominent  notice  by  Josephus,  covers  the  space 
extending  from  Berket-Israel  to  the  road  leading  to  Jericho  near  Jere- 
miah's grotto.  Josephus  tells  us  it  was  identical  with  Coenapolis, 
which  means  "  Empty  City,"  and  was  so  named,  it  is  supposed,  because 
the  inhabitants  were  not  as  numerous  as  those  in  other  portions  of  the 
city. 

In  the  time  of  our  Lord  the  greater  portion  of  Bezetha  was  out- 
side the  walls,  and  was  not  enclosed  until  the  time  of  Agrippa,  who 
built  the  third  wall,  extending  over  a  portion  of  it ;  its  breadth  near 
the  Haram  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  extends  north  more  and 
more  until  it  covers  nearly  one  thousand  feet.  We  have  given  a  brief 
outline  of  the  four  hills  on  which  the  foundation  of  Jerusalem  stands, 
but  there  is  yet  another,  situated  on  the  summit  of  one  of  these  and 
within  the  walls  of  the  present  city,  of  which  special  mention  must  be 
made,  because  the  glories  which  crown  it  are  of  the  most  important 
interest  to  the  world.  This  is  Mt.  Calvary,  the  hill  on  which  our  Lord 
reconciled  justice,  and  made  it  possible  for  fallen  man  to  be  at  peace 


96  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

with  God.  There  is  no  place  in  Jerusalem  over  which  there  has  been, 
and  still  is,  so  much  controversy,  and  around  which  so  many  doubts 
cluster  as  this  Mount,  which  tradition  says  is  Calvary.  When  the  vis- 
itor is  taken  first  to  one,  then  to  another  summit,  both  of  which  are 
located  as  the  true  sites  of  the  crucifixion,  he  is  at  loss  to  know  which 
of  the  two  is  the  real  Calvary. 

It  is  generally  understood  that  special  attention  was  paid  to  beau- 
tifying the  walls,  and  great  i^ains  taken  to  have  them  as  square  as  pos- 
sible. And  if  the  wall  on  INIt.  Bezetha  had  been  extended  and  not 
that  on  Akra,  Jerusalem  would  have  presented  a  shape  by  no  means 
admired  by  the  people ;  it  would  have  terminated  in  a  semi-circle  on 
the  north. 

I  am  strongly  inclined  to  the  opinion,  the  whole  wall  from  the 
northwest  to  the  northeastern  terminus  was  extended  ;  this  would  form 
a  direct  line,  and  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  both  walls  and  city  ; 
taking  these  facts  into  consideration,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
traditional  site  of  Golgotha,  as  located  at  present,  was  at  a  time  past, 
outside  the  walls. 

For  it  is  known  the  Jews  were  careful  in  not  permitting  the  dead 
to  be  buried  within  the  city  limits,  and  there  are  clear  evidences  that 
such  had  been  done  within  the  enclosure  of  the  present  walls.  In  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  underneath  the  western  galleries,  just 
behind  the  sepulchre,  are  to  be  seen  two  hewn  tombs  in  the  rock, 
known  as  the  burial  place  of  Joseph  and  Nicodemus ;  these  tombs 
are  ancient,  and  as  evidently  Jewish  sepulchres  as  any  of  those  seen  in 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  or  Hinnom,  or  those  of  the  tombs  of  the 
kings  and  judges  ;  therefore  to  deny  these  of  their  Jewish  origin  would 
be  to  deny  that  any  of  those  ancient  tombs  round  about  Jerusalem  or 
elsewhere  were  Jewish. 

It  is  therefore,  conclusive,  that  tombs  did  and  still  exist  within  the 
limits  of  the  present  walls,  and  that  it  is  a  fact,  the  Jews  did  not  allow 
any  burying  within  the  city. 

In  thinking  of  Calvary  we  are  touched  with  a  feeling  which  is  rev- 
erential and  affectionate,  for  it  is  the  most  sacred  of  all  the  holy  places 
in  Jerusalem,  in  comparison  with  which  all  others  are  but  dim  or 
shadowy,  and  pale  before  it  as  the  light  of  the  moon  would  before 
the  sun  at  high  meridian. 

Therefore  in  attempting  to  write  a  chapter  concerning  this  most 
sacred  hill,  we  do  so  with  a  knowledge  of  our  great  want  of  divine 
guidance,  that  we  may  be  so  directed  in  every  thought  that  it  may 
accomplish  the  good  intended,  and  even  more  than  we  could  antici- 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN   JERUSALEM.  97 

pate.  It  is  known  to  many  that  the  old  traditional  sight  of  Calvary  is 
being  hotly  contested,  and  another  location  is  looked  upon  as  the  true 
site. 

But  if  the  place  so  long  reverenced  as  Mt.  Calvary  is  not  the  gen- 
uine site,  the  deep  interest  which  for  many  centuries  has  clustered 
about  it,  gives  it  an  exalted  dignity,  such  as  no  other  place  in  the 
world  has  attained  ;  men  have  for  a  long  time  endeavored  to  cast  a 
shadow  of  grave  doubts  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the  traditional  Cal- 
vary and  sepulchre,  and  have  attempted  to  locate  this  most  hallowed 
spot  at  another  point  on  the  north  of  the  city  and  beyond  the  walls ; 
this  new  site  has  been  steadily  gaining  opinion  in  its  favor,  and  many 
of  those  are  inclined  to  believe  it  to  be  Calvary  rather  than  the  one  so 
long  regarded  as  such ;  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  enter  into  the  details  of 
argument  presented  by  prominent  men,  who  have  participated  in  the 
investigations  from  which  they  have  drawn  their  conclusion. 

Those  who  desire  a  full  and  exhaustive  discussion  on  the  subject, 
we  refer  to  the  Biblical  researches  of  Dr.  Robinson,  in  which  will  be 
found  all  that  is  necessary,  "  The  Holy  City,"  by  Mr.  Williams,  and 
the  article  by  Prof.  Willis  on  Architectural  History.  It  will  be  seen 
by  a  close  examination  of  the  above  references,  that  the  whole  burden 
of  these  alignments  bear  upon  the  development  of  two  very  important 
and  intricate  questions,  one  of  which  is  deductive,  and  the  other  may 
be  called  scientific. 

The  deductive  question  is,  the  conclusion  draAvn  from  an  early  tra- 
dition, that  the  site  on  which  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  stands, 
was  known  to  be  identical  with  the  event  of  our  Lord's  crucifixion  and 
burial,  and  was  designated  as  such  some  time  prior  to  the  conquest  of 
Constantine,  by  the  Emperor  Hadrian,  who  caused  to  be  built  on  the 
spot  a  heathen  temple  to  Venus,  that  the  place  which  had  been  so 
devoutly  and  sacredly  commemorated  by  Christians  might  be  polluted. 

The  question  that  must  be  developed  by  scientific  investigation  is. 
Can  it  be  positively  proven  that  the  present  site  of  Golgotha,  was,  at 
the  time  of  our  Lord's  crucifixion,  beyond  the  walls  of  the  city  ?  The 
Holy  Scriptures  inform  us  the  bodies  of  beasts  whose  blood  was" 
brought  into  the  sanctuary  by  the  High  Priest  for  sin,  were  burned 
without  the  camp,  and  that  the  Lord  Jesus  "  might  sanctify  the  people 
with  his  own  blood,  suflTered  without  the  gate."  The  place  to  which 
Jesus  was  taken  was  close  to  the  city,  and  seems  to  have  been  beside  or 
close  to  a  public  road,  for  they  that  passed  by  reviled  Him  (Heb.  xiii. 
11-12  ;  Matt,  xxvii.  39). 


98  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

THE  TOMB  OF  CHRIST. 

Now  as  to  the  deductive  or  historical  question,  that  is  introduced 
because  of  a  statement  made  by  Eusebius  in  the  third  century,  saying 
there  had  been  a  heathen  temple  erected  to  Venus  over  the  sepulchre 
of  our  Lord,  it  is  the  opinion  of  men  whose  writings  seem  to  be  with- 
out even  the  tinge  of  bias,  that  those  advocates  favoring  the  present 
site  of  the  tomb  of  Christ  as  identical  with  the  original,  have  never 
met  the  difficulty  fairly,  and  that  it  is  hardly  conceivable  Hadrian 
could  have  had  any  motive  in  such  a  purpose,  when  his  whole  object  in 
establishing  his  new  city,  vElia  (which  was  the  name  he  gave  Jeru- 
salem), was  not  to  insult  the  Christians,  but  the  Jews,  from  whom  the 
Christians  in  Palestine  at  that  time  were  greatly  divided. 

As  to  the  conclusion  just  cited,  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  wholly 
true,  especially  as  to  the  opinion  of  Hadrian's  attitude  towards  the 
Christians.  It  is  commonly  known  by  all  who  have  a  knowledge  of 
the  general  stand  pagans  take  against  Christians,  that  they  are  em- 
phatically opposed  to  them ;  that  whenever  and  wherever  they  have 
an  opportunity,  they  show  themselves  uncompromisingly  hostile  to 
them.  Taking  this  undeniable  fact  into  consideration,  it  cannot  be 
considered  unreasonable  to  infer,  that  although  the  prime  motive  of 
Hadrian  was  to  punish  and  humiliate  the  Jews,  and  not  the  Christians, 
the  latter  was  his  secondary  motive,  after  he  had  vented  his  spite  on 
the  former ;  in  fact,  his  purpose  seems  to  have  been  to  do  whatever  he 
could  to  abase  the  people,  whether  Jews  or  Christians. 

It  does  not  seem  reasonable  to  suppose  he  would  show  the  Chris- 
tians any  favors  whatever,  being  under  no  obligations  to  them ;  but  on 
the  contrary  he  would  follow  the  common  custom  of  the  Roman 
emperors.  It  is  not  likely  Hadrian  would  be  more  compassionate 
with  the  Jewish  Christians  in  Jerusalem  than  with  the  straight-out 
Jews  whom  he  expelled  from  it,  and  refused  permission  to  return. 

Such  a  man  would  without  compunction  build  a  heathen  temple  to 
Venus  over  the  Tomb  of  Christ  if  he  saw  it  would  deeply  wound  his 
followers ;  the  Jews  would  not  have  been  moved  at  such  a  procedure, 
for  they  had  no  faith  in  Christ  nor  reverence  for  the  place  in  which  he 
was  buried  ;  the  question  raised  by  some  writers  as  to  the  probability 
of  the  walls  of  Herod's  time  running  so  as  to  close  the  plat  on  which 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  is  built,  in  the  opinion  of  others, 
depends  for  its  solution  upon  such  excavations  of  the  vast  accumula- 
tions under  which  they  lay  (and  is  just  now  impossible),  but  will  in 
some  future  time  be  so  effectually  conducted  as  to  clear  away  the 
mystery  of  the  topography  of  ancient  Jerusalem,  as  in  the  case  of  Rome 


X 
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ANCIENT  AND   MODERN  JERUSALEM.  99 

and  other  places  in  the  old  world.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  as  has  been 
stated,  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  extended  by  order  of  Agrippa,  who 
enclosed  that  portion  of  Bezetha  that  was  outside  the  city  limits ;  it 
looks  plausible  that  in  extending  the  walls  he  would  cautiously  guard 
against  haviiig  them  to  appear  awkwardly.  Therefore,  in  order  to 
make  them  as  much  as  possible  uniform  and  square,  he  would  have 
extended  them  also  on  Akra,  the  mount  on  which  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  stands,  and  as  the  Jews  did  not  allow  their  dead  to  be 
buried  within  the  walls  or  limits  of  the  city,  therefore,  the  walls  of  to-day 
must  have  been  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  those  of  ancient  times, 
and  that  they  occupy  a  portion  of  the  site  of  a  place  of  burial  that  the 
Jews  used  in  ancient  times ;  it  is,  therefore,  highly  probable  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  is  identical  with  or  very  near  the  spot 
where  Joseph's  new  tomb  was,  in  which  no  one  had  been  placed  until 
the  body  of  our  Lord  had  been  laid  in  it. 

The  idea  of  those  two  tombs  being  those  of  Joseph  and  Nicodemus 
is  very  doubtful  and  even  ridiculed  by  many.  As  to  the  objection  we 
have  no  criticism  to  offer,  having  no  direct  evidence  to  sustain  the  tra- 
dition ;  indeed,  we  are  inclined  to  the  opinions  of  the  objectors,  as  there 
seem  to  be  reasonable  grounds  upon  which  to  build  them  ;  but  the 
point  is  they  are  tombs,  and  as  such  could  not  be  placed,  under  any 
legal  claim,  within  the  bounds  of  the  city  walls. 

And  the  plat  on  which  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  is  built 
being  inside  the  enclosure,  and,  as  has  been  stated,  these  ancient  tombs 
being  under  its  western  galleries,  are  strong  proofs  that  the  whole  space 
occupied  by  the  church  was  outside  of  the  walls. 

These  facts,  greatly  strengthen  the  opinion  that  the  rock-hewn  tomb 
represented  to  be  the  "  Holy  Place  where  the  Lord  lay,"  is  without  a 
shadow  of  doubt  of  ancient  date,  and  may  be  identical  with  the  tomb 
it  represents  ;  in  the  conclusion  we  have  reached,  we  feel  confident  it  is 
confined  within  the  limits  of  probability,  and  it  is  our  earnest  hope  and 
prayer,  this  conclusion  has  at  least  added  a  faint  light  upon  the  matter 
and  will  open  up  avenues  for  thoughts  more  matured  and  sacred ;  it  is 
our  opinion,  as  the  excavations  proceed,  which  for  a  long  time  have 
been  in  progress,  such  positive  evidence  will  be  developed  as  will  settle 
this  question  forever.  It  is  proper  that  a  historical  sketch  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  should  be  given  here ;  we  have  stated  elsewhere, 
the  site  of  the  tomb  of  our  Lord,  had  been,  some  time  in  the  third  cen- 
tury, covered  by  Hadrian  with  a  heathen  temple  which  was  dedicated 
to  Venus. 

This  statement  is  corroborated  by  some  of  the  most  distinguished 


100  THE   LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

and  reliable  early  writers,  among  whom  are  Jerome,  Socrates  and 
Solomon ;  these  men,  whose  writings  have  been  of  great  historical 
value,  sustain  Eusebius  in  the  assertion  that  the  Holy  Sepulchre  had 
been  covered  with  earth,  and  a  temple  to  Venus  had  been  built  over  it. 
So  that,  as  Eusebius  put  it,  "  That  illustrious  monument  of  immortality 
had  been  lost  in  darkness  and  oblivion." 

In  this  condition  it  remained  a  long  time,  but  at  length  we  are 
informed  by  all  the  writers  of  the  time  of  Constantine,  The  Great,  that 
Helena  his  mother,  who  was  a  very  saintly  woman,  being  divinely 
directed  to  search  for  the  true  cross,  and  holy  sepulchre,  came  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  instituted  inquiries  among  the  inhabitants  concerning  the 
location  of  Mt.  Calvary,  but  none  could  tell  her  the  exact  place ;  the 
fact  of  the  ignorance  of  the  people  concerning  the  matter  gave  Helena 
much  uneasiness  and  jDerplexity ;  but  being  hopeful  of  satisfactory 
results,  she  continued  the  anxious  search,  and  after  a  time  it  was  miracu- 
lously discovered  ;  there  is  but  little  doubt,  if  any,  existing  as  to  the 
fact,  that  three  crosses  were  found,  but  there  have  been  many  opinions 
existing  as  to  the  genuineness  of  them,  and  many  seem  to  be  inclined 
to  the  opinion  that  some  one  made  them,  and  placed  them  there. 

There  are  many  other  unimportant  objections  based  upon  just  such 
frivolous  foundations ;  it  may  be  the  crosses  were  not  buried  by  any 
one  to  preserve  them  from  destruction,  as  is  believed  by  many;  but 
they  more  likely  fell  and  were  buried  under  the  debris,  when  the  city 
was  destroyed,  and  if  they  had  been  buried  by  the  early  Christians,  it 
is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  those  who  lived  two  hundred  and 
fifty  or  three  hundred  years  afterwards,  could  find  the  exact  place 
where  they  were  buried,  for  the  reason  there  was  no  historical  record 
kept  as  to  the  place  where  they  might  be  found. 

And  if  those  who  buried  them  told  any  one  of  that  locality,  it  was 
enjoined  upon  the  person  to  keep  the  matter  a  profound  secret,  lest  the 
enemies  of  our  Lord  would  destroy  it.  It  is  thought  by  some,  that  if 
any  one  had  buried  the  cross  of  our  Lord,  those  of  the  two  thieves 
would  not  have  been  buried  with  it.  But  that  was  very  natural,  as 
each  of  them  embraced  a  peculiar  historical  significance,  that  would 
stimulate  the  Christians  to  preserve  them. 


PAET   TI. 

EVENTS  IN  AND   ABOUT  JERUSALE:M— ITS  MEMOR- 
ABLE  PLACES. 

Description  of  Mount  of  Olives — Appearance  from  a  Distance — Fuel  Used  in 
Palestine — A  View  of  the  Country  from  the  ]Mountain — Disciples  Taught 
how  to  Pray — Lazarus  Raiseii — Bethany — Tomb  of  Lazarus — Our  Lord  en 
route  for  Jerusalem — Ride  to  Jerusalem — Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem — 
Our  Lord  Deeply  Moved  with  Compassion — The  Garden  of  (iethsemane — 
Tomb  of  the  Virgin  INIary — Description  of  Tomb — Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  — 
How  Situated — Strong  Faith  of  the  People  as  to  the  Historical  Places  of 
Palestine — Absalom  Claiming  Himself  King — David  and  His  Friends — 
The  Love  Attai  had  for  David — The  Returning  of  the  Ark  of  God — David's 
Flight — David  in  Exile — Suicide  of  Ahithophel — David  Numbere  Those 
with  Him  and  Forms  Three  Divisions — Absalom  Hanged  in  the  Forest — 
Breaking  the  News  of  His  Death  to  David — David's  Return — Absalom's 
Pillar — Valley  of  Hinnom — Valley  of  Giants — Hill  of  Evil  Counsel — 
Potter's  Field — Idolatry  of  Israel^The  Kingdom  Embarrassed—  Solomon's 
Early  Blunder — His  Decline  in  Piety — Pools  and  Fountains— The  Great 
Cisterns — Pool  of  Siloam — Healing  of  the  Blind  Man — Pool  of  Bethesda — 
Healing  of  the  Lame  Man — Siege  of  Titus — Troops  Stationed  at  the  Foot  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives — Titus  Marches  to  the  City — Famine  Raging — War 
Among  the  Inhabitants — Titus's  Anxiety  to  Save  the  City— Prophecy  Ful- 
filled Concerning  the  Destruction — Burial  of  the  Dead — Tower  of  Antonia 
Captured — The  Sacred  Edifice  in  Flames — Titus  Oflere  Terms  of  Peace — 
Final  Demolition — The  Triumphal  Arch — David's  Tomb — Attempts  to 
Locate  it  Elsewhere — How  Impressed  on  Entering — The  Ccenaculum — 
Mosque  of  Neby  Da'rid — Description  of  Upper  Chamber — Tombs  of  St. 
James  and  Zacharias — Other  Tombs — Absalom's  Shaft — Tomb  of  Jehoshaphat 
— Tombs  of  Prophets  and  Judges— Tomb  of  Helena — Future  of  the  Jews. 

JERUSALEM'S   MEMORABLE   PLACES. 

THERE  are  a  number  of  places  in  and  about  the  holy  city  that  are 
mentioned  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  in  the  writings 
of  Josephus,  that  have  been  identified,  notwithstanding  many  physical 
changes  have  taken  place ;  the  most  prominent  of  these  places  are 
Mounts  Zion,  Moriah,  Akra,  Bezetha,  Olivet,  Scopus  and  a  few  others- 
The  valleys  of  Kedron  or  Jehoshaphat,  Hinnom  and  the  Tyropa^on 
or  Cheese-mongers.     The  fountains  and  pools  of  Siloam,  the  virgin's 

101 


102  THE   LAND  OF   PEOMISE. 

pool,  the  two  pools  of  Gihon,  Hezekiah's  pool,  and  the  site  of  the  pool  of 
Bethesda ;  these  places  we  will  mention  in  detail  as  we  proceed,  except 
those  of  which  mention  has  been  made. 

MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 

The  Mount  of  Olives  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  and  venerated 
places  about  Jerusalem,  and  is  generally  regarded  as  hallowed  ground, 
because  it  was  frequented  by  our  Lord,  at  times  when  He  sought  a 
quiet  retreat,  that  He  might  pray  without  being  disturbed  by  any  one ; 
here  also  He  often  came  with  his  disciples  to  teach  them  lessons  con- 
cerning Himself,  and  their  work  as  messengers  of  salvation,  necessary 
to  make  them  competent  to  contend  against  the  mighty  forces  that 
should  come  up  in  battle  to  drive  them  from  their  post. 

Upon  the  summit  of  Mt.  Olivet,  the  hallowed  feet  of  this  "  won- 
derful councilor  "  and  "  mighty  God  "  stood  on  the  morning  of  His 
triumphant  departure  to  the  house  of  "  Many  Mansions,"  in  the  pres- 
ence of  great  numbers  of  anxious  witnesses,  who,  after  hearing  His 
last  words  to  His  disciples,  saw  Him  borne  heavenward  to  take  His 
station  as  our  federal  representative  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father. 

The  Mount  of  Olives  is  about  a  mile  east  of  Jerusalem  ;  it  is  esti- 
mated to  be  about  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high  from  the  base  of 
Jehoshaphat,  and  two  hundred  feet  above  Mt.  Moriah  ;  it  runs  parallel 
with  Moriah,  and  is  divided  into  several  peaks  by  intervening  depres- 
sions ;  on  the  top  of  the  central  peak  is  a  building  with  four  towers, 
belonging  to  the  Russians ;  from  the  top  of  either  of  the  towers  a 
superb  view  is  obtained  of  the  country  around,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
see  with  the  aid  of  field  glasses. 

They  are  the  first  objects  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jerusalem  seen 
by  those  going  up  from  Jericho.  It  has  a  peculiar  appearance  from  a 
far  distance,  and  would  remind  one  very  much  of  a  tower  suspended 
in  the  air ;  there  are  several  other  buildings  belonging  to  the  Russians, 
Greeks  and  Latins,  on  the  Mount,  and  a  small  Arab  village  near 
Bethany. 

These  buildings  greatly  disfigure  the  mountain,  and  rob  it  of  much 
of  its  solemnity,  and  also  obstructs  much  of  its  natural  beauty  and 
loftiness.  Some  portions  of  it,  especially  the  northern,  is  kept  under 
cultivation,  and  seems  to  be  productive.  The  olive  trees  become  fewer 
each  year,  so  that  the  number  it  contains  now  are  not  to  be  compared 
with  that  of  antique  times. 

Wood  being  scarce  in  Palestine,  the  old  olive  trees  are  cut  down 
for  fire  use,  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  die  ;  even  the  roots  are  dug  up 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  103 

and  burned,  but  the  few  hundred  trees  of  the  shady  groves  yet  remain- 
ing are  memorable  of  those  of  long  ages  past,  which  gave  this  sacred 
mountain  its  immortal  name. 

On  the  summit,  a  short  distance  from  the  traditional  tombs  of  the 
prophets,  is  a  building  belonging  to  the  Mohammedans,  that  from  the 
early  times  of  our  era  has  been  settled  upon  as  the  spot  from  which 
our  Lord  ascended  to  heaven  ;  it  has  been  so  recognized  since  the  third 
century,  when  Helena  and  others  made  extensive  investigations,  and 
concluded  the  rock  over  which  the  building  stands,  is  that  upon  which 
our  Lord  rested  while  giving  His  disciples  their  final  commission  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  In  the  meantime,  the  firmament 
was  thronged  with  a  multitude  of  adoring  angels,  waiting  to  escort 
'•  Him  Home  and  shout  him  welcome." 

The  building  now  standing  over  the  rock,  is  the  fourth  one ;  the 
first  chapel  was  built  by  order  of  Helena,  the  mother  of  Constantine, 
the  Great ;  it  was  replaced  by  another  small  round  church,  under  the 
superintendence  of  Modestus  ;  this  was  again  replaced,  in  the  twelfth 
century,  by  another,  built  by  the  Crusaders,  but  was  destroyed  by  the 
hands  of  violent  enemies,  after  the  expiration  of  nearly  four  hundred 
years  ;  there  seems  to  have  been  no  attempt  to  replace  it  for  two  hun- 
dred years. 

Then  the  present  one  was  erected ;  the  building  is  by  no  means 
spacious  in  appearance  ;  it  stands  in  the  midst  of  an  enclosure.  In 
the  same  area,  is  a  small  mosque,  that  is  visited  by  all  travelers  who 
ascend  Mt.  Olivet  to  witness  the  remarkable  echo,  that  may  be  heard 
from  the  mildest  tone  of  the  voice ;  the  echo  has  a  delightful  sound, 
in  some  respects  akin  to  that  that  may  be  heard  in  the  Baptistry  at 
Pisa. 

The  view  of  the  country  round  about,  from  the  top  of  Mt.  Olivet,  is 
very  fine  and  impressive,  especially  so  when  the  visitor  contemplates 
the  historic  associations  connected  with  the  sacred  mount  upon  which 
he  is  walking.  He  remembers  the  same  ground  he  is  traveling  over, 
was  once  marked  by  the  sacred  feet  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and 
somewhere  near  here  once  stood  a  cluster  of  trees  He  frequented  when 
burdened  in  spirit,  heavily  oppressed  with  the  sin  of  the  world,  to  com- 
mune with  His  Father,  and  drop  tears  of  sorrow.  Down  the  southern 
slope,  near  the  tomb  of  His  devoted  mother,  is  the  traditional  spot 
where  the  disciples  came  to  Him,  and  privately  asked  Him  to  teach 
them  to  pray,  even  as  John  taught  his  disciples ;  and  in  compliance 
with  their  petition,  that  prayer  of  prayers,  which  is  repeated  in  almost 
every  home  in  civilized   lands,  and  every  pious  mother  feels  it  her 


104  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

indispensable  duty  to  teach  the  little  ones  of  her  household  to  say,  "  Our 
Father,  who  art  in  heaven,"  was  formulated. 

There  are  three  pathways  leading  over  Mt.  Olivet  to  Bethany,  one 
being  the  ancient  Jericho  road,  and  the  identical  one  over  which  our 
Lord  passed  with  His  disciples,  when  He  came  from  the  City  of  Palm 
Trees  and  gave  the  blind  man  sight,  and  passed  over  it  many  times,  to 
and  from  Bethany  and  Jerusalem.  Along  this  road  He  was  walking 
one  morning,  and  being  hungry  went  to  a  fig  tree  to  refresh  Himself 
with  the  fruit,  and  found  "  nothing  but  leaves,"  and  from  that  moment 
it  withered  under  His  curse. 


LAZARUS  RAISED. 

Jesus  made  His  home  with  Lazarus  and  his  two  sisters  at  their 
little  home.  They  loved  Him  and  always  made  Him  as  comfortable 
as  their  means  would  allow.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  the  family 
often  wished  to  have  Him  come  and  see  them  on  those  occasions  when 
they  needed  His  sympathy  and  soothing  words ;  to  heal  them  in  their 
afflictions.  It  is  certain  the  sisters  did,  when  their  brother  died, — at  the 
time,  our  Lord  was  at  Bethabara  beyond  the  Jordan  with  His  disciples. 
They  sent  a  messenger  informing  Him  of  the  illness  of  Lazarus  and 
requesting  Him  to  come  and  heal  him.  It  was  on  the  account  of  the 
death  of  this  good  man,  that  the  whole  village  seemed  to  be  in  a  state 
of  deep  lamentation.  The  event  opened  up  an  opportunity  for  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  perform  one  of  the  most  stupendous  miracles  of  His 
ministry,  one  which  evidently  showed  forth  His  divinity. 

The  multitudes  shouted  His  praise,  and  the  village,  that  for  four 
days  had  been  a  scene  of  lamentation  and  great  weeping,  instantly 
leaped  into  enthusiastic  joy  ;  for  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Jesus, 
Lazarus  the  beloved,  who  had  been  four  days  confined  within  the  cold 
embrace  of  the  grim  monster,  came  from  his  silent  abode  full  of  life 
and  vigor,  a  living  witness  of  the  truth,  that  Jesus  who  would  soon 
yield  to  the  sting  of  death,  had  power  over  it,  and  is  indeed  "  the 
resurrection  and  the  life." 

Simon,  the  leper,  lived  also  in  Bethany,  at  whose  table  our  Lord 
reclined,  when  Mary  came  in  and  anointed  Him,  and  wiped  His  feet 
with  the  hair  of  her  head  (Matt.  xxvi.  6-9;  John  vi.  1-46). 

Bethany,  is  on  the  southeast  of  the  INIount  of  Olives,  situated  in  a 
hollow  that  hides  it  from  Jerusalem  ;  this  little  village  may  be  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  important  historical  places  outside  of  the  Holy 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  105 

City.     Many  authors  give  it  only  a  passing  notice,  as  though  it  had 
not  been  dignified  by  the  frequent  yisits,  and  works  of  Christ. 

This  yillage  is  not  in  a  very  reputable  standing  with  the  masses 
who  visit  it,  because  of  the  very  low  and  disorderly  class  of  people 
who  inhabit  it.  The  Arabs  call  it  Azariyeh,  which  means  corruption 
from  Lazarus,  after  whom  they  have  called  it ;  the  word  "  Bethany  " 
in  its  primitive  meaning  is  "  House  of  Poverty,"  and  any  one  who 
visits  there  will  conclude  the  name  is  specially  adapted  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  people  generally,  for  they  are  from  all  outward  appear- 
ances to  be  numbered  with  the  poorest  inhabitants  of  Palestine,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  sacred  history  that  clusters  within  its  limits,  no  one 
would  care  to  visit  the  place  or  even  view  it  while  passing  by  en  route 
to  Jericho. 

Bethany  is  a  dreary,  desolate  and  miserable  place,  without  a  single 
inviting  natural  feature;  but  all  these  physical  objectionable  aspects 
are  overcome,  when  the  wonderful  fame  of  nearly  two  thousand  years' 
standing  is  called  to  mind ;  it  is  the  little  village  hid  away  behind  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  at  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  three-quarters,  from  the 
great  city  whose  fame  is  known  to  the  world,  that  our  Lord  used  to 
frequent  when  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem. 

There  is  a  deep  vault  partly  excavated  in  the  rock  near  the  centre 
of  the  village  known  as  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  and  sacredly  venerated 
alike  by  Christians  and  Moslems  because  of  an  old  tradition,  that  the 
body  of  pious  Lazarus  was  raised  from  it  after  his  burial.  On  the  day 
the  author  of  this  volume  visited  Bethany,  he  went  down  to  the 
bottom  of  this  historic  cave,  and  took  a  general  survey  of  its  interior. 
It  is  deep  and  dark,  having  thirty-seven  steps  to  descend  before  the 
bottom  is  reached ;  candles  are  furnished  by  the  guard,  who  not  only 
demands  half  a  franc  admission,  but  an  additional  sum  as  a  present. 

The  last  time  our  Lord  visited  here,  and  performed  the  miracle  of 
the  resurrection,  was  during  the  season  of  the  Passover,  when  crowds 
of  people  had  gathered  from  all  parts,  so  that  as  usual  the  Holy  City 
was  crowded  to  its  uttermost  with  admiring  strangers,  many  of  whom 
joined  the  multitude  in  celebrating  His  praise  and  spreading  His  fame 
abroad. 

On  the  morning  He  started  in  triumph  to  Jerusalem  ;  on  the  way 
to  the  city,  just  opposite  the  point  where  the  first  view  of  Mt.  Zion  is 
obtained,  is  a  ravine;  near  it  are > remnants  of  an  old  village;  this  is 
supposed  to  be  the  site  of  ancient  Bethpage,  the  village  to  which  Jesus 
sent  two  of  His  disciples  to  bring  the  colt  upon  which  He  was  to  ride 
into  Jerusalem. 


106  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

It  is  an  easy  matter  for  the  people  of  Bethany,  as  in  all  the  villages 
and  small  towns  of  Palestine,  to  be  informed  when  a  stranger  is  in  their 
midst,  as  there  are  only  one  or  two  entrances  as  a  rule.  This  old  rocky 
highway  is  the  very  same  that  Jesus  passed  over  on  the  morning  He 
entered  Jerusalem  in  triumph ;  it  was  a  jubilant  occasion  with  the 
great  multitude  who  had  witnessed  one  of  the  most  wonderful  of  all 
the  miracles  that  had  been  wrought  by  our  Lord  during  His  ministry; 
there  was  no  elaborate  or  costly  preparations  made  for  the  event. 

JESUS'  RIDE  TO  JERUSALEM. 

The  Saviour  requested  two  of  His  disciples  to  go  over  to  the  next 
village  and  bring  a  colt  to  Him  on  which  no  man  had  ever  sat ;  the 
request  was  promptly  complied  with,  and  the  people,  whose  enthusiasm 
over  the  recent  resurrection  of  Lazarus  had  overflowed,  were  still 
jubilant,  and  anxious  to  spread  His  fame  in  song  and  with  shouts  of 
praise. 

Having  spread  a  few  pieces  of  their  scanty  garments  upon  the  colt 
for  a  saddle,  they  sat  Jesus  on  him,  and  He  started  for  Jerusalem.  On 
leaving  Bethany,  the  adoring  multitudes  immediately  began  to  express 
their  extreme  joy  for  their  Lord,  by  taking  off  their  garments  and 
strewing  them  upon  the  ground  for  their  Divine  Master  to  ride  over, 
which  was  an  act  that  strongly  demonstrated  the  exalted  veneration 
they  had  for  Him. 

The  vast  throng  of  admirers  of  Christ,  sung  with  loud  voices, 
praises  to  Him  that  "cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ; "  a  vast  number 
of  people  coming  out  from  Jerusalem  to  meet  Him,  sped  across  the 
Kedron  and  entered  the  highway,  pulling  off"  palm  boughs  as  they 
passed  the  gardens  along  the  way,  to  welcome  "  Him  who  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

This  multitude  continued  on  tow^ard  Bethany,  to  join  those  whose 
voices  were  making  the  very  air  vocal  with  their  loud  shouts  of 
Hosanna  ;  there  was  a  vast  crowd  escorting  the  Saviour  from  the  home 
of  Mary,  Martha,  and  Lazarus,  who  had  spent  the  night  in  their  little 
village,  and  had  witnessed  the  miraculous  resurrection,  and  it  is  likely, 
some  of  them,  were  those  who  mournfully  sympathized  with  the  women 
■vrho  piteously  bewailed  the  loss  of  their  brother ;  these  also  spread 
palm  and  olive  branches  on  the  ground,  in  honor  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
whose  praises  they  were  shouting. 


EVENTS  IX  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  107 

CHRIST'S  ENTRY  INTO  JERUSALEM. 

As  the  two  divisions  approached  each  other,  the  enthusiasm  became 
intense,  and  about  half  way  between  Bethany  and  Jerusalem  they  met, 
then  those  who  went  out  from  the  city  turned,  forming  a  solid  line; 
marched  toward  Jerusalem,  saying,  "  Blessed  is  He  that  conieth  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  hosanna  in  the  highest."  As  this  long  and  enthu- 
siastic procession  proceeded,  the  little  village  behind  them  was  soon 
hidden  from  their  view,  and  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  great  city 
loomed  up  before  them  with  all  its  glory. 

This  loud  and  triumphant  shout  of  the  multitude,  was  a  surprise  to 
the  jealous  scribes.  Pharisees  and  elders,  who  had  spent  so  many  days 
in  endeavoring  to  crush  out  the  fame  of  Jesus,  and  had  formed  many 
plots  to  kill  Him,  who  was  "  going  about  doing  good."  Just  as  our 
Lord  was  approaching  the  decline  of  the  hill,  where  a  view  of  a  por- 
tion of  Jerusalem  was  obtained,  the  multitude  seemed  to  have  sung 
with  greater  fervor  than  ever  before,  so  much  to  the  disconsolation  of 
the  Pharisees  who  were  standing  by,  that  they  complained  of  tlie  noise, 
and  requested  the  Saviour  to  command  them  to  be  still ;  but  He  looked 
towards  the  ground  and  pointing  his  finger  (see  Luke  xix.  30-40)  to 
the  rough  stones  along  the  highway,  said  to  them :  "  If  these  should 
hold  their  peace  these  stones  would  immediately  cry  out."  It  is  worthy 
of  remark,  that  the  stones  did  cry  out,  when  there  was  no  one  by  Him 
to  speak  a  word  in  honor  of  his  name ;  while  hanging  on  the  cross 
suffering  great  agony,  for  the  sins  of  mankind  ;  when  the  procession 
had  moved  to  the  depression,  where  the  city  is  hid  from  view  for  a 
short  while,  their  songs  dispersed  all  the  gloom  that  lurked  about  the 
valley,  then  in  a  few  moments  the  steep  hill  is  ascended,  where  in 
almost  an  instant  the  whole  city  is  spread  out  to  full  view. 

It  is  the  general  opinion,  that  our  Lord  had  reached  this  point  when 
his  heart  became  so  deeply  moved  with  compassion  that  He  wept  over 
the  fact,  the  time  was  fast  advancing  when  desolation  and  death  should 
overthrow  the  city.  This  high  hill  is  settled  upon  as  identical  with  the 
place  where  our  Lord  wept ;  because  there  is  no  other  place  on  the  road, 
nor  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  that  affords  such  an  unobstructed  and 
beautiful  view  of  Jerusalem. 

Just  below  the  greatest  depression  of  the  Kedron  Valley  appeared, 
where  it  connects  with  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  is  an  elevation  com- 
posed of  large  rocks,  which  affords  a  beautiful  view  of  the  Holy  City, 
and  any  one  familiar  with  the  narrative  of  the  triumphant  entry  into 
Jerusalem  of  our  Lord,  and  having  an  opportunity  of  passing  along 


108  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

this  ancient  road  from  Bethany  to  Jerusalem,  will  be  constrained  to 
agree  with  the  thousands  of  others,  in  their  belief,  that  this  rocky  ledge 
is  identical  with  the  point  where  the  Saviour  was  suddenly  stricken 
with  over-powering  sorrow  which  caused  a  gush  of  tears  to  flow  from 
his  eyes. 

While  under  the  influence  of  this  deep  anguish,  Jesus  predicted 
the  woeful  fate  that  should  come  upon  the  people,  and  said :  "  For  the 
days  shall  come  upon  thee,  that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about 
thee,  and  compass  thee  about  and  shall  keep  thee  in  on  every  side ; 
and  shall  lay  thee  even  with  the  ground,  and  thy  children  with  thee, 
and  they  shall  not  leave  thee  one  stone  upon  another,  because  thou 
knowest  not  the  time  of  thy  visitation." 

How  alarming  was  this  prediction,  and  how  dreadful  the  future  of 
Jerusalem  ;  a  most  woeful  calamity  was  in  store  that  should  come 
upon  the  people  like  a  devouring  fire  and  consume  them.  It  was  only 
about  forty  years  from  the  time  of  the  prediction,  that  the  sad  visita- 
tion came  upon  the  city,  and  the  words  of  Christ  were  literally  ful- 
filled, in  the  great  siege,  capture,  and  overthrow  of  the  city,  and 
slaughter  of  immense  multitudes  of  people.  The  Garden  of  Geth- 
semane  is  situated  at  the  base  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  just  at  the  point 
where  the  three  roads  up  the  side  of  the  mountain  diverge ;  a  very  old 
tradition,  at  least  as  far  back  as  the»  time  of  Constantine  the  Great, 
locates  the  renowned  garden  here,  and  it  has  been  generally  believed 
to  be  identical  because  of  its  close  proximity  with  the  Brook  Kedron, 
which  accords  with  the  narrative  of  the  Scripture  concerning  it.  The 
garden  is  in  the  custody  of  the  Franciscan  Monks ;  it  is  a  square  lot, 
enclosed  with  a  white  stone  wall,  about  five  or  six  feet  high,  and  an 
inner  fence  standing  three  or  four  feet  from  it,  on  the  inside.  In  the 
midst  of  it  are  seven  olive  trees.  At  one  time  there  were  eight,  but 
the  oldest  one  has  yielded  to  the  crumbling  hand  of  time,  notwith- 
standing all  pains  were  taken  to  preserve  it ;  the  remaining  seven  are 
well  stricken  with  age,  and  must  soon  succumb  to  the  same  influence 
their  parent  perished  under ;  their  trunks  are  much  decayed,  and  are 
propped  up  by  heaps  of  stone  and  earth  ;  they  are  supposed  to  be  the 
descendants  of  the  original  trees  which  stood  here  when  our  Lord  was 
on  earth.  The  traditional  sites  where  our  Lord  prayed  while  in  great 
agony,  and  where  the  disciples  slept  when  they  should  have  been 
watching,  are  pointed  out ;  also  the  place  where  Judas  Iscariot  be- 
trayed Him  with  a  kiss. 

It  cannot  be  supposed,  from  the  nature  of  things,  that  any  one  can 


GARDEN  OF  GETHSEMANE. 


EVENTS   IN   AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  109 

place  confidence  in  the  correctness  of  these  localities  pointed  out  in 
the  garden,  yet  they  serve  to  refresh  the  mind  concerning  the  scenes  of 
the  events.  Now  as  to  the  garden,  we  have  it  recorded  in  the  Bible, 
"  Jesus  went  over  the  Brook  Kedron  with  His  disciples,  where  there 
was  a  garden  into  which  He  entered."  The  following  is  from  the  pen 
of  one  who  regards  this  as  the  identical  place  of  our  Lord's  agony  and 
betrayal,  and  his  opinion  has  been  endorsed  by  many  travelers  and 
authors  who  have  carefully  examined  the  geography  of  the  place,  as  to 
its  agreement  with  the  Scripture  narrative  referring  to  it.  We  copy  it 
for  the  benefit  of  our  readers  because  it  is  both  pathetic  and  sublime : 
"  Over  thei'e  in  Jerusalem  His  body  was  crucified,  but  here  was  the 
scene  of  the  crucifixion  of  His  soul ;  there  the  letter  of  the  law  was 
executed,  but  here  the  awful  weight  of  the  spirit  was  borne ;  there 
He  drank  the  dregs  of  sorrow,  but  here  the  full  cup  was  wrung  out  to 
Him ;  here  the  enemy  who  had  departed  from  Him  for  a  time  returned 
with  all  the  powers  of  hell  (Matt.  xxvi.  36;  Mark  xvi.  32)  to  over- 
throw the  Son  of  Man  ;  here  His  own  familiar  friends  betrayed  Him  ; 
here  the  Captain  of  our  salvation  was  made  perfect  through  suflering, 
and  from  this  place,  broken-hearted  as  He  was  with  the  cross  before 
Him,  and  a  heavier  cross  upon  Him,  He  rose  up  from  the  garden  and 
went  forth  to  die." 

THE  TOMB   OF  THE  VIRGIN  MARY. 

"  Take  thy  shoes  from  oft'  thy  feet,  for  the  ground  whereon  thou 
standeth  is  holy."  Not  far  from  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  is  another 
memorable  place,  that  ranks  in  importance  with  most  of  the  venerable 
and  holy  places  about  Jerusalem.  It  is  known  as  the  Tomb  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  This  ancient-looking  tomb  is  situated  amongst  the 
deeply-bedded  rocks  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Olivet,  on  the  western  side,  and 
according  to  some  of  the  early  writers,  was  erected  by  order  of  Helena, 
the  energetic  mother  of  Constautine,  whose  untiring  labors  in  Palestine 
will  ever  be  commended  by  the  civilized  world. 

This  tomb  is  now  a  place  of  worship,  chiefly  under  the  control  of 
the  Greeks,  although  the  Latins  and  Armenians  have  separate  apart- 
ments there,  in  which  they  hold  services  at  stated  times.  The  cham- 
bers of  this  resting-place  of  the  sainted  dead,  are  deep  and  dark, 
entered  by  descending  sixty  stone  steps,  divided  almost  midway  by  a 
small  platform,  where  three  tombs  are  placed.  The  two  on  the  right 
are  those  of  Joachim  and  Anna,  the  parents  of  the  Virgin  ;  that  on 
the  left  is  the  resting-place  of  Joseph,  her  husband. 


110  THE   LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

Proceeding  down  the  second  flight,  the  main  chamber  is  entered;  it 
is  always  very  dark,  for  the  sunlight  never  enters ;  therefore  it  is  con- 
tinually illuminated  by  lamps.  On  the  right  side,  near  the  extreme 
end  of  the  Greek  chajiel  is  the  high  altar,  and  the  tomb  in  which  the 
remains  of  the  Mother  of  our  blessed  Lord  were  placed,  is  said  to  be 
under  it. 

The  Greeks  claim  this  place  to  be  the  oldest  church  in  the  world ; 
it  is  without  doubt  a  reverential-looking  place,  and  if  appearance  is  to 
be  considered  as  a  proof  of  its  antiquity,  we  can  see  no  reason  why  the 
claims  of  the  Greeks  may  not  be  conceded.  On  entering  it,  one  feels 
himself  to  be  within  the  sacred  walls  of  the  last  resting  place  of  some 
one,  whose  illustrious  character  won  for  him  immortal  fame  and  honor, 
without  being  informed  to  whose  memory  the  tomb  is  dedicated. 

One  noticeable  thing  concerning  this  place,  that  gives  it  prominence 
in  history,  is  the  fact  of  it  not  being  so  critically  disputed  as  most 
places  to  which  claims  are  laid  for  prominent  events  that  occurred  in 
ancient  times. 

VALLEY  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT. 

There  are  in  connection  with  the  valleys  already  mentioned  inside 
the  Holy  City,  others  on  the  outside,  round  about,  two  of  which  are 
famous  in  history  because  of  the  marvelous  events  which  have  trans- 
pired in  them.  The  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  may  be  consistently  classed 
with  the  most  renowned  in  all  the  land,  in  point  of  distinction ;  it  is  a 
a  very  deep  ravine,  lying  between  the  city  and  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
running  north  and  south  ;  the  brook  Kedron  flows  through  it,  and  by 
which  name  the  valley  is  sometimes  called  ;  it  is  very  deep  in  some 
parts  and  difiicult  to  descend,  the  water  rises  in  it  at  times  during  the 
heavy  rains  in  the  fall,  to  the  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet,  but  during 
the  summer  season  is  almost  dry. 

The  Jews  and  Mohammedans  believe  this  valley  will  be  the  scene  of 
the  last  judgment,  and  Christians  have  also  adopted  the  Jewish  faith, 
with  regard  to  the  final  day,  and  stubbornly  insist  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth  will  call  the  nations  before  Him  in  this  valley ;  it  is  thought, 
they  base  their  belief  on  the  declaration  of  the  Prophet  Joel ;  the  Jews 
have  a  tradition  that  all  persons  not  buried  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat 
will  be  compelled  to  come  from  every  part  of  the  world  under  ground, 
to  judgment ;  therefore  they  are  very  anxious  to  be  buried  there  and 
have  occupied  every  available  space  for  their  tombs  almost  to  Bethany ; 
the  Jews  build  their  tombs  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley  and  the  Mo- 
hammedans on  the  west. 


EVENTS   IN   AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  Ill 

DESCRIPTION   OF  TOMBS. 

These  tombs  are  not  dug  as  in  other  countries,  but  built  up  from  the 
surface  with  stones,  by  men  who  follow  that  work  daily ;  the  dead  are 
not  kept  for  three  or  four  days,  therefore,  thousands  have  their  tombs 
built  while  they  are  alive,  so  that  they  will  be  sure  of  being  buried 
properly.  Men  can  be  seen  every  day  on  both  sides  of  the  valley  busy 
building  tombs.     (See  Joel  iii.  2-12.) 

Some  of  these  tombs  are  very  ancient,  and  it  is  highly  probable  that 
the  dusty  remains  of  a  hundred  generations  rest  in  them,  comprising  a 
number  of  the  many  races  who  in  their  turn  controlled  the  country,  viz.  : 
Jebusites,  Hebrews,  Syrians,  Macedonians,  Egyptians,  Romans,  Per- 
sians, Franks  and  Turks ;  some  of  those  tombs  such  as  are  known  as 
Absalom,  St.  James,  Jehoshaphat  and  Zechariah's,  are  supposed  to  be 
amongst  the  oldest  in  the  land. 

They  are  drilled  in  the  rock,  and  from  their  appearance  much 
time  was  expended  in  preparing  them ;  about  these  stately  monu- 
ments of  the  memorable  dead  lie  the  remains  of  almost  innumer- 
able hosts,  whose  names  will  remain  unknown  until  the  day  of  final 
accounts.  This  valley  was  the  scene  of  great  tumult  when  David  was 
fleeing  from  the  fury  of  Absalom,  his  rebellious  son,  who  was  in  hot 
pursuit  after  him  with  murderous  intent- 

Jehoshaphat  properly  begins  at  the  head  of  a  valley  about  one  mile 
and  a  quarter  west  of  the  Damascus  Gate,  at  which  point  it  is  very 
shallow,  but  continues  to  deepen  gradually  as  it  goes  south  ;  the  first 
half  mile  runs  in  the  direction  of  the  city,  then  suddenly  turns  east- 
ward ;  in  this  course  it  runs  for  half  a  mile,  then  changes  southward 
and  becomes  much  wider. 

The  road  going  to  Anathoth  and  Michmash  crosses  it  here  ;  the 
valley  is  said  to  be  a  hundred  feet  deep  opposite  St.  Stephen's  Gate, 
and  about  two  hundred  feet  wide.  It  is  the  general  opinion,  the  name 
of  this  valley  was  adopted  after  King  Jehoshaphat  had  won  a  great 
victory  there,  one  that  strengthened  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  and  made 
both  the  king  and  the  battle-field  memorable  to  them  throughout  many 
generations.     (2  Chron,  xx.) 

The  places  of  Bible  mention  in  and  about  Jerusalem  are  now,  as  in 
earlier  times,  eagerly  sought  by  the  thousands  of  tourists  and  pilgrims 
who  annually  pay  the  Holy  City  a  visit ;  the  routes  of  daily  travel 
from  place  to  place  are  accurately  arranged,  so  that  all  places  visited 
are  classed  according  to  their  distance  from  each  other,  into  daily 
itineracies  from  one  to  eleven. 


112  THE  LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

Many  of  the  traditional  places  hitherto  settled  ujDon  as  identical 
with  prominent  events  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  have  been  for  several 
years  rigidly  investigated  by  men  who  have  great  ability  for  exploring ; 
these  investigations  have  in  many  instances  been  highly  beneficial ; 
several  places  that  were  not  identified  have  been  discovei-ed  through 
their  efforts,  and  many  that  have  been  settled  upon  have  proven  to  be 
mis-located 

These  developments  have  given  new  avenues  for  thought  to  those  who 
travel  to  Palestine  in  search  of  historical  information ;  it  is  very  unfortu- 
nate, however,  that  several  places  that  have  been  believed  to  be  identical 
with  events  narrated  in  the  Scriptures  have  been  disputed  by  some  of 
our  modern  investigators,  without  establishing  proof  to  the  contrary, 
or  discovering  any  other  site  that  indicates  their  premises  are  properly 
founded. 

The  people  of  Palestine  who  have  charge  of  those  historical  and 
sacred  places  cling  with  unyielding  tenacity  to  the  old  traditions, 
believing  those  who  lived  sixteen  or  seventeen  hundred  years  ago  had 
a  better  opportunity  to  know  the  locality  of  these  places  than  the 
people  of  to-day,  and  they  think  the  places  as  located  are  genuine, 
notwithstanding  the  devastation  to  which  the  city  has  been  subjected. 

When  Absalom,  whose  previous  conduct  had  caused  him  for  a  time 
to  be  exiled  from  the  embraces  of  his  father,  had  been  kindly  restored 
and  pardoned  for  his  great  sin,  he  began  another  cunning  scheme  that 
was  so  agreeable  to  the  masses,  they  became  willing  to  abandon  David 
and  took  the  young  aspirant  for  their  king.  Absalom's  ambition  and 
treacherous  disposition  was  of  the  basest  character ;  he  did  not  only 
seek  to  obtain  the  sceptre  before  the  death  of  his  father,  but  such  was 
his  ambition  for  it,  he  eagerly  sought  to  murder  him  to  obtain  it. 
Many  young  men  follow  this  most  sinful  of  all  examples  and  bring 
sorrow,  lamentation  and  death  hastily  upon  their  parents,  because  they 
wish  to  possess  their  fortune. 

It  was  too  long,  in  the  estimation  of  Absalom,  to  wait  until  his 
father  died,  to  possess  the  throne,  so  he  plotted  and  put  into  effect  one 
of  the  most  barbarous  schemes  a  son  could  conceive  against  the  interest 
of  his  father. 

THE  PATH  DAVID  TOOK  THROUGH  THE  VALLEY. 

Clothing  himself  in  royal  attire,  Absalom  appeared  in  the  most  con- 
spicuous place  and  persuaded  the  people  to  rebel  against  the  king, 
because  their  rights  were  being  imposed  upon,  and  if  they  would 
elevate  him  to  power,  equal  justice  should  be  the  standard  principle  of 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  113 

his  administration  ;  and  that  his  cunningly-devised  plans  might  be 
attained  he  went  to  his  father  and  obtained  permission  to  go  to 
Hebron,  to  pay  a  vow  he  had  made ;  David,  having  no  suspicion 
of  treachery,  granted  his  request ;  then  the  nature  of  the  oath  was  soon 
developed. 

Absalom,  having  arrived  at  Hebron,  sent  out  messengers  in  great 
haste  throughout  the  nation,  that  at  a  given  sign  previously  made 
known  to  the  people,  they  should  unitedly  proclaim  him  king  in  Hebron, 
the  previous  seat  of  government. 

This  intelligence  enthused  the  people,  and  many  whose  sympathies 
were  with  David  did  not  dare  to  express  themselves  in  his  favor ;  for  a 
short  time  Absalom  grew  in  popularity  with  the  people,  and  his  party 
increased  rapidly.  When  the  news  of  his  treason  had  come  to  the 
ears  of  King  David  he  was  completely  unnerved,  so  that  his  courage  fell, 
and  the  man  whose  fame  as  a  mighty  conqueror,  had  made  nations 
tremble,  became  so  appalled  that  he  was  almost  like  a  helpless  child, 
and  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  conquered  conqueror. 

The  king  in  wild  dismay  fled  from  the  city  of  David,  whilst  his 
son  and  usurjiers  were  advancing  on  the  city  from  the  south,  which 
was  the  most  convenient  way  from  Hebron.  David  having  heard  of 
the  route  the  would-be  king  was  coming  with  his  army  of  revolters, 
ran  down  into  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  eastward,  entered  the  path 
leading  over  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  continued  his  flight  until  he 
found  himself  east  of  the  Jordan  in  the  land  of  Gilead. 

Hence  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  has  been  memorable  also,  on 
account  of  David,  who  passed  through  it  in  deep  sorrow,  when  his 
own  son  was  seeking  his  throne  and  his  life.  The  path  the  king  took 
through  the  valley  with  his  court,  is  graphically  described  in  the  Bible  : 
"  And  all  the  country  wejDt  with  a  loud  voice,  and  all  the  people 
passed  over." 

DAVID  AND  HIS  SYMPATHETIC  FRIENDS. 

"  The  king  also  himself  passed  over  the  Brook  Kedron  and  all  the 
people  passsed  over  it ; "  the  road  leading  over  the  Mount  of  Olives 
was  very  steep  and  rugged  ;  to  ascend,  it  is  therefore  clear  to  all,  that 
the  king  had  a  toilsome  journey  from  the  beginning ;  the  difficult  road 
to  travel,  and  a  rebellious  and  murderous  son  behind  him  with  ven- 
geance flashing  from  his  eyes,  must  have  made  the  journey  expressly 
solitary  and  bitter. 

It  seems  to  have  been  early  in  the  morning  when  David  was 
apprised  of  the  rebellion  and  fled  from  the  city ;  this  we  infer  from  the 


114  TPIE  LAXD  OF  PROMISE. 

time  it  required  him  to  travel  the  distance  at  rapid  speed  and  the 
events  which  transpired  during  the  flight,  which,  when  taken  into 
account,  seem  to  justify  our  opinion,  that  the  king  started  from  his 
palace  early ;  Josephus  contributes  more  space  to  this  event  than  any 
other ;  he  very  minutely  portrays  the  behavior  of  David  under  his  deep 
afiliction,  showing  he  was  patient,  and  fervent,  in  his  religious  devo- 
tions; that  in  time  of  danger  when  fierce  and  bloodthirsty  foes  were  per- 
suing him,  he  took  time  to  attend  to  his  daily  religious  devotions. 

He  also  speaks  of  his  generosity,  his  simplicity,  his  forgiving  dis- 
position, but  nothing  of  his  courage,  for  it  had  left  him,  the  weight  of 
grief  had  crushed  it  out  of  him,  for  the  time  being ;  for  a  son  whom 
he  loved  so  tenderly,  had  brought  him  shame  and  burdened  his  heart ; 
notwithstanding  Absalom  had  proved  himself  unworthy  of  his  father's 
love,  yet  he  was  dearly  adored  by  him  even  when  the  offence  was  of 
such  a  nature,  any  other  person  would  have  been  hunted  down  by 
David's  strong  arm  and  slain,  but  we  find  this  "  mighty  man  of  valor  " 
escaping  from  a  rebel  son,  with  all  the  speed  he  could  command, 
having  with  him  a  multituie  of  grief-stricken  friends  who  made  the 
very  hills  and  valleys  in  the  vicinity  of  their  journey  echo  with  their 
doleful  lamentations  for  miles  around ;  there  were  no  cheering  develop- 
ments along  the  route. 

But  on  the  other  hand  one  event  after  another  attended  the  flight 
of  the  king  which  served  to  increase  his  fears  ;  when  David  left  the  City 
of  Jerusalem  a  multitude  of  sympathizing  friends  left  with  him,  includ- 
ing his  entire  household  except  ten  women  of  the  harem  (concubines), 
whom  he  left  behind  to  look  after  household  effects  ;  the  mules  and 
donkeys  that  were  usually  taken  when  the  king  started  on  a  journey 
with  his  court,  were  left  and  all  the  company  started  on  foot,  believing 
it  to  be  the  most  expedient  method  of  traveling  over  the  very  rough 
pass,  down  to  the  Jordan.  It  was  a  long  and  mournful  procession  com- 
posed of  the  Philistine  body-guard,  the  six  hundred  men  from  Gath, 
the  high  officers  of  the  king's  court,  all  the  servants  and  many  women 
and  children  (see  2  Samuel  xv.). 


THE  STRONG  LOVE  OF  ITTAI  FOR  DAVID. 

There  were  none  of  those  who  clung  to  David  in  his  state  of  deep 
distress  more  worthy  of  mention  than  Ittai  the  Gittite ;  although  he 
was  a  stranger  and  also  an  exile,  yet  he  was  so  deeply  in  sympathy 
with  the  king  he  was  willing  to  go  with  him  and  to  suffer  with  him, 
whatever  calamity  there  might  be  in  store;  to  this  end  he  nerved 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT   JERUSALEM.  115 

himself  to  follow  David  and  do  all  lie  could  for  him  iu  life  and  in 
death. 

The  attachment  of  Ittai  to  his  lord  was  so  strong  no  farther 
objection  to  his  purpose  was  made  ;  and  he  and  those  with  him  passed 
down  through  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  beyond  the  Kedron,  to  join 
the  mournful  procession.  The  evidence  of  the  king's  purpose  to  flee 
in  pursuit  of  a  place  of  refuge  was  prominent,  for  the  whole  multitude 
instantly  uttered  a  wail  of  grief  that  almost  shook  the  surrounding 
mountains. 

Then  Zadok  came  in  company  with  Abiathar  and  the  Levites.  bear- 
ing the  Ark  of  God  from  its  resting-place  on  Mt.  Ziou,  intending  to 
take  it  with  them  for  the  consolation  of  the  king  in  his  painful  flight ; 
but  the  treasure  was  so  sacred  and  valuable,  David  regarded  it  too 
risky  to  attempt  to  escape,  and  ordered  the  Priests  Zadok  and  Abiathar 
to  return  it,  deeming  it  far  better  to  perish  himself  and  all  those  with 
him,  than  for  anything  to  happen  to  the  sacred  Ark. 

It  was,  according  to  David's  command,  returned  to  Jerusalem ;  the 
king  also  requested  the  two  priests  to  remain  with  the  sacred  instru- 
ment and  pay  strict  attention  to  the  movements  of  Absalom,  and  send 
him  word  what  they  proposed  to  do,  by  their  two  sons  Ahimaoz  and 
Jonathan,  who  were  waiting  for  tidings  in  the  Valley  of  Johoshaphat 
by  En-rogel.  These  young  men  were  fleet  as  runners,  and  could  come 
to  the  king  in  time  to  warn  him  of  Absalom's  plans. 

DAVID'S  FLIGHT. 

The  lamentations  of  David  and  those  with  him  must  have  been 
heart-rending  to  those  who  heard  them,  for  the  thoughts  of  his  flight 
and  the  cause  that  stimulated  him  are  shocking  to  those  living  iu 
this  remote  age.  We  are  informed,  David  went  up  by  the  way  of  3It. 
Olivet,  and  wept  as  he  went,  with  covered  head  and  bare-footed,  and 
all  those  with  him  covered  their  heads,  and  wept  with  their  fleeing 
king  as  the/  went  there  ;  when  they  had  reached  the  summit  of  Mt. 
Olivet,  having  aching  hearts  and  bleeding  feet ;  the  king  stopped  long 
enough  to  worship, and  then  advised  with  Hushai,  who  like  a  friend  in 
the  time  of  need,  or  sore  afiliction,  having  heard  of  David's  trouble 
because  of  his  heartless  son,  that  he  -  was  compelled  to  flee  from  his 
palace  and  from  Jerusalem,  and  seek  a  safe  retreat  elsewhere,  rent  his 
clothes,  and  came  out  to  meet  him,  with  his  head  covered  with  earth, 
and  endeavored  to  persuade  the  king  to  go  with  him. 

But  the  king  did  not  want  to  burden  his  friend  with  his  sorrows, 
therefore,  he  continued  his  journey,  but  requested  Hushai  to  remain  as 


116  THE  LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

one  of  the  advisers  of  Absalom,  feeling  lie  could  render  liim  valuable 
service  by  doing  so,  as  to  the  movements  of  the  treacherous  usurper, 
whose  iron  heart  and  merciless  hand  were  greedily  seeking  the  blood 
of  a  father  whose  love  for  his  son  knew  no  bounds ;  the  two  had  not 
separated  but  a  short  time,  before  another  man  met  David  and  his  party- 

But  he  was  not  a  friend ;  his  expressions  were  indicative  of  an  enemy, 
in  whose  heart  was  concealed  a  deep-seated  grudge  and  low  cunning. 
It  was  plain,  the  king  had  not  only  obstacles  behind  him,  from  which 
he  was  fleeing,  but  gainsay  and  derision  before  him,  these  evils  com- 
bined their  influence  to  intimidate  and  discourage  him. 

As  he  proceeded  down  the  eastern  slope  of  Mt.  Olivet,  Shimei,  the 
Benjamite,  who  was  a  relative  of  King  Saul  and  unfriendly  to  David, 
met  him,  and  went  along  the  mountain  side,  and  cursed  him,  threw 
stones  and  dust  at  him  ;  the  enemy  embraced  the  opportunity  when 
David  was  too  much  overcome  with  grief  and  fatigue  to  resent  an 
insult,  to  drive  the  wedge  of  agony  deeper  into  his  bleeding  heart,  and 
drive  him  into  insanity,  or  absolute  madness,  if  possible. 

DAVID  IN  EXILE. 

This  grave  insult  to  the  king  so  deeply  incurred  the  displeasure  of 
the  high  ofiicials  of  David's  stafi",  and  others  of  the  company,  they  for 
a  time,  lost  sight  of  their  perilous  situation  and  were  with  no  little 
effort  restrained  from  avenging  the  insolent  Benjamite.  Abishai,  who 
had  lost  control  of  himself,  would  have  leaped  acx'oss  the  ravine  and 
smote  off"  the  head  of  Shimei,  had  David  given  his  consent ;  but  the 
king  reminded  them,  that  since  his  own  son,  whom  he  so  dearly  loved, 
had  abandoned  him  and  caused  him  to  go  into  exile,  anything  could 
be  tolerated  that  others  could  do  to  him. 

This  timely  advice  restrained  his  friends  from  dealing  rashly  with 
the  man  who  attempted  to  assault  their  lord,  and  they  continued  their 
hasty  flight  until  they  had  reached  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  where 
they  camped  amongst  the  thickets,  and  refreshed  themselves  after  a 
fiatiguing  day's  journey.  Here,  mark  the  change  in  David's  sur- 
roundings ;  just  a  day  previous  he  was  in  his  stately  palace  on  Mt. 
Zion,  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  having  at  his  command  all  that  was 
needful  to  make  him  happy ;  now  he  is  in  exile  among  the  weeds,  and 
bushes  along  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  without  shelter  or  a  pillow  upon 
which  to  lay  his  head. 

Yet  he  seemed  not  to  be  so  much  disturbed  about  being  deprived 
of  home  comforts  for  the  time  being,  as  he  was  to  know  the  plans  of 
Absalom,  and  what  more  was  necessary  to  make  good  his  escape  from 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JEKUSALEM.  117 

his  son's  rebellious  hand.  Then,  suddenly,  while  the  heavenly  sentinels 
were  advancing  up  their  silvery  paths  to  their  meridian,  they  heard 
the  sound  of  the  two  fleet-footed  youths,  Jonathan  and  Ahimaaz,  coming 
with  great  speed  bringing  the  ardently  desired  tidings. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  young  usurper,  which  occurred  a  few  hours 
after  the  flight  of  David  and  his  company,  he  held  a  council  as  to  the 
best  mode  of  procedure,  seeing  his  father  had  fled  from  the  palace  and 
city.  The  chief  adviser  was  Ahithophel,  a  man  of  great  influence,  and 
on  whom  David  himself  relied  for  advice  in  times  of  great  perplexity. 
This  man  had  turned  from  the  king  and  set  his  face  toward  the  traitor 
son,  and  advised  him,  among  other  things,  to  pursue  his  father  even 
to  the  banks  of  the  Jordan  and  slay  him,  that  the  nation  might  have 
peace.  This  advice  pleased  Absalom,  for  he  knew  that  if  David  could 
be  captured  and  put  to  death,  the  kingdom  would  be  safely  in  his 
hands. 

When  the  news  reached  Hushai  he  advised  Absalom  diflTerently,  which 
seemed  to  be  better  than  that  given  by  Ahithophel,  but  in  truth  it  was  in 
David's  favor.  Having  the  full  text  of  Absalom's  immediate  procedure, 
Hushai  informed  Zadok  and  Abiathar,  and  requested  them  to  dispatch 
the  young  men  to  David  at  once,  that  he  might  cross  the  Jordan  before 
his  pursuers  overtook  him.  The  messengers  reached  the  king  in  time 
to  prepare  him  to  escape.  These  young  men,  sons  of  the  priest,  were 
being  watched  with  all  possible  vigilance,  as  they  were  suspected  of 
being  unfriendly  to  Absalom  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  well  in 
Bahurim,  in  which  they  concealed  themselves,  Absalom  would  have 
had  them  put  to  death  as  enemies  of  his  cause  and  emissaries  of  his 
father,  whose  life  he  was  anxiously  seeking.     (See  2  Samuel  xvii.) 

AHITHOPHEL  COMMITTED  SUICIDE. 

Just  at  this  time  there  was  a  break  in  the  council.  Absalom 
offended  Ahithophel  because  he  followed  the  advice  of  Hushai.  This 
so  troubled  the  aged  counsellor,  that  he  saddled  the  donkey  on  which 
he  generally  rode  when  going  a  journey,  went  to  his  home  and  put  his 
house  in  order,  then  went  out  and  deliberately  hung  himself.  It  was 
thought  he  was  apprehensive  of  the  fate  of  Absalom,  and  having  joined 
the  rebellious  party,  he  would  naturally  come  to  shame,  and  perhaps 
lose  his  life  in  the  struggle. 

When  it  was  known  that  Ahithophel  had  committed  suicide,  he 
was  honored  with  an  honorable  burial  in  the  sepulchre  of  his  father, 
which  was  not  customary  in  those  times ;  it  was  the  prevailing  opinion 
that  men  who  committed  self-murder  were  not  worthy  of  being  buried 


118  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

witli  the  honored  dead.  The  death  of  Ahithophel  was  but  the  signal- 
cloud  of  the  pending  storm  that  would  turn  the  tide  of  indigna- 
tion from  David,  and  cause  his  rebellious  son  to  reap  the  reward  of  his 
hands. 

Absalom  was  full  of  ambition,  and  restless  anxiety  to  capture  his 
father  and  put  him  to  death,  and  all  who  were  in  sympathy  with  him, 
and  to  accomplish  this  he  thought  it  proper  to  follow  Hushai's  instruc- 
tions. Collecting  a  large  army  he  appointed  Amasa,  his  cousin,  chief 
commander  over  it,  instead  of  Joab.  This  young  rebel  was  the  son  of 
Abigail,  David's  sister;  his  father  was  Ithra.  It  was  thought  he  was 
not  very  highly  esteemed  by  David,  and  this  led  him  to  join  in  the 
rebellion  against  him.  The  preparation  being  completed  the  army 
started  in  pursuit  of  David,  whose  hidings  were  on  the  east  of  the 
Jordan,  with  friends  who  were  endeavoring  to  make  him  and  his  army 
comfortable  (see  2  Sam.  xvii.  7-24).  For  when  it  became  known  to 
the  people  that  David  had  fled  to  them  in  Mahanaim  for  jirotection 
from  the  wrath  of  his  son,  three  powerful  oflicials  came  to  his  help. 
These  were  Shobi,  son  of  Nahash,  of  Kabbah,  supposed  to  have  been 
king  of  Ammon  ;  and  Machir,  the  son  of  Ammiel,  of  Lo-debar ;  and 
Barzillai,  the  Gileadite,  of  Rogelim. 

They  brought  beds,  and  basins,  and  earthen  vessels,  wheat  and  bar- 
ley, and  parched  corn,  and  honey,  and  butter,  sheep  and  cheese  of  all 
kinds,  for  David  and  for  those  who  were  with  him  to  eat,  for  they  said 
the  people  are  hungry,  weary  and  thirsty  in  the  wilderness.  The  king, 
finding  himself  in  the  midst  of  friends,  was  relieved  of  much  of  his 
tenderness  and  his  spirit  was  greatly  revived.  After  he  and  his  army 
had  refreshed  themselves  from  the  sumptuous  supply  of  choice  food 
given  them  by  the  trans-Jordanic  dwellers,  David  began  to  prepare  for 
the  crisis  before  him. 

He  numbered  those  who  were  with  him  and  divided  them  into 
three  divisions,  and  placed  Joab  in  command  of  the  first,  which  com- 
i:)rised  one-third  of  the  whole  army ;  the  second  division  was  under 
command  of  Abishai,  the  son  of  Zeruiah,  Joab's  brother ;  and  the 
third  was  in  command  of  Ittai,  the  Gittite,  who  vowed  to  stand  by 
David,  and  even  suflfer  death,  if  the  crisis  demanded,  before  he  would 
leave  him  or  suffer  his  rebel  son  to  triumph  over  him. 

The  king  had  also  concluded  to  go  into  the  battle  with  the  people 
who  had  sacrificed  their  homes  and  put  their  lives  on  the  altar  of  death 
to  protect  him ;  but  the  whole  people  demanded  that  he  should  remain 
in  his  hidings,  for  his  life  was  of  more  value  to  the  nation  than  ten 
thousand  other  men  (see  2  Sam.  xviii.  1-33). 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  119 

David  yielded  to  the  earnest  protest  of  his  people,  and  remained  at 
the  fortress,  but  charged  Joab,  Abishai  and  Ittai,  the  chiefs  in  com- 
mand, and  all  the  captains  in  the  hearing  of  the  army  going  out 
against  the  rebels,  to  be  kindly  disposed  toward  his  rebellious  son,  for 
notwithstanding  all  the  tenderness  of  heart  a  son  should  indulge  for  a 
kind  father,  had  been  crushed  in  Absalom,  by  an  avaricious  ambition 
to  control  the  nation,  David  still  most  tenderly  loved  him  and  wished 
his  life  preserved. 

The  great  army  of  Israel,  under  the  command  of  Amasa,  in  the 
meantime  had  crossed  the  ford  and  was  east  of  the  Jordan.  Absalom 
seems  not  to  have  been  advised  to  remain  in  the  palace  at  Jerusalem, 
and  being  bent  on  conquest,  he  came  with  the  army,  to  assist  in  any- 
thing he  might  do  to  capture  and  slay  his  father  and  slaughter  the 
veteran  army,  whose  loyalty  was  as  firm  as  the  hills  around  them. 

The  army  of  King  David  went  up  against  that  of  Absalom,  and 
they  pitched  their  first  battle  in  the  forest  of  Ephraim,  which  resulted 
in  the  loss  of  tw^enty  thousand  of  the  rebel  army ;  these  men,  the  most 
of  whom  were  unskilled  in  warfare,  fled  before  the  veteran  army  of 
David,  and  thousands  of  them,  having  lost  their  way  to  the  fords,  fled 
to  the  interlacing  thicket,  where  they  were  pursued  by  the  men  of 
King  David  (who  were  far  superior  in  skill  and  military  strength) 
and  slain. 

During  this  stage  of  great  panic  in  Amasa's  command,  Absa- 
lom ■  himself  came  riding  in  at  full  speed  upon  his  mule,  and 
unguardedly  met  a  squad  of  men  of  David's  force ;  these  he  attempted 
to  shun  by  darting  through  the  forest  in  another  direction  and  was 
caught  in  the  fork  of  an  oak  (perhaps  by  his  neck)  and  held  so  tightly 
he  could  not  extricate  himself,  and  the  beast  darted  out,  leaving  him 
hanging.     (See  2  Sam.  xviii.  5-11.) 

ABSALOM'S  TRAGIC  DEATH. 

There  was  great  anxiety  as  to  the  termination  of  the  success  of  the 
great  national  conflict  on  both  sides.  But  those  men  with  Absalom 
were  full  of  confidence,  and  had  expected  to  capture  David  and  his  whole 
force  that  day ;  but  when  the  man  whom  they  had  illegally  anointed 
and  installed  king,  had  been  caught  by  the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  had 
been  slain  by  Joab,  they  immediately  abandoned  their  unfortunate 
insurrection  and  were  filled  with  wild  dismay. 

The  man  who  saw  Absalom  hanging  would  have  been  glad  to  bave 
driven  his  dart  through  him,  but  having  heard  David  forbid  that  any 
one  should  do  him  harm,  he  was  restrained,  but  went  to  Joab,  the  chief 


120  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

officer  of  his  divisiou,  and  related  the  story  of  Absalom's  fate,  where- 
upon, in  an  unguarded  moment,  Joab  disregarded  the  admonition  of 
his  king,  and  took  the  responsibility  upon  himself,  and  slew  the  ill-fated 
son  of  David. 

He  caused  his  staff  to  form  a  circle  around  the  tree  where  Absalom 
was  suspended,  and  finished  the  work  of  death ;  they  extricated  him 
from  the  limb,  and  finding  near  them  a  ditch  or  "great  pit,"  into 
that  they  threw  the  remains  of  the  dead  rebel  son  of  Israel's  victorious 
king,  and  covered  it  with  a  mound  of  stones. 

Ahimaaz,  the  son  of  Zadok,  the  priest,  was  present  and  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  run  and  bring  the  tidings  of  the  battle  to  the  king ;  but 
Joab  thought  it  would  be  better  to  break  the  news  to  David  another 
day,  when  he  would  be  better  prepared  to  receive  it.  In  the  meantime 
a  Cushite  was  dispatched  to  bear  the  news  to  the  king  of  what  he  had 
seen  and  heard.  Then  Ahimaaz  insisted  to  be  allowed  to  run,  and  was 
permitted  to  go  ;  he  outran  the  Cushite,  for  he  was  one  of  the  fleetest 
and  most  noted  runners  in  the  land,  and  was  generally  known  afar  off, 
by  his  peculiar  style  of  running,  and  while  yet  in  the  distance  the 
watchman  in  the  lookout  tower  recognized  him  and  told  David, 
who  was  sitting  between  the  two  gates  of  the  camp,  awaiting  the  news 
of  the  battle.  When  Ahimaaz  arrived  his  heart  failed  him,  so  that  he 
could  not  get  courage  enough  to  break  the  news  of  Absalom's  fate. 

DAVID'S  LAMENTATION. 

But  when  the  Cushite,  the  regular  messenger,  came  to  the  camp,  he 
delivered  the  message  and  told  of  the  death  of  Absalom,  and  the 
destruction  and  confusion  of  his  army.  When  David  heard  it  he 
wept  bitterly  over  the  death  of  his  rebellious  son,  whose  hand  had  been 
so  long  uplifted  against  him. 

Such  was  his  fervent  love  for  Absalom,  he  would  have  died  in  his 
stead  ;  the  lamentations  of  the  bereaved  king  awakened  deep  sympathy 
for  him  among  all  his  people  ;  his  indignation  was  so  greatly  kindled 
against  Joab,  he  could  no  longer  make  him  the  trusty  head  of  his 
army.  Amasa,  who  was  one  of  the  most  expert  commanders  in  Israel, 
was  appointed  in  Joab's  place. 

This  action  of  David  severed  the  intimate  friendship  between  the 
king  and  the  slayer  of  his  son  forever ;  Joab  also  entertained  a  deep- 
seated  dislike  for  Amasa,  which  in  time  was  clearly  develoi:)ed.  David 
made  preparations  to  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  sent  the  two  chief 
priests  to  the  city  to  allay  any  feeling  amongst  the  people  that  might 
exist  against  him ;  this  being  done,  the  king  came  over  the  Jordan, 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  121 

followed  by  a  large  procession  (2  Samuel  xviii.  15-33)  and  marched  up 
to  Jerusalem,  and  was  once  more  the  victorious  King  David,  whose 
fame  as  a  conqueror  was  known  far  and  wide.  The  bloody  struggle  was 
over,  the  rebellious  Absalom  had  been  slain,  the  remaining  rebels  had 
been  subdued,  peace  was  restored,  and  David  himself  was  on  the  throne. 
But  there  was  no  lasting  rest  after  his  restoration  to  the  throne  ;  many 
things  tending  to  perplex  his  soul,  and  reduce  his  pride,  rushed  upon 
him  one  after  the  other  until  he  neared  the  swellings  of  Jordan. 

A  FAMINE  IN  THE  LAND. 

About  the  time  when  the  many  difficuties  seemed  to  have  been 
removed,  that  so  greatly  interrupted  the  prosperity  of  the  nation,  a 
devastating  famine,  which  lingered  three  years,  threw  a  great  check 
upon  the  nation's  prosperity,  and  the  indefatigable  Philistines,  who 
had  been  a  thorn  in  the  path  of  the  nation  for  a  long  time  and  who 
David  thought  were  finally  conquered,  came  up  against  them  as  thick 
as  locusts,  and  plunged  the  king  into  a  new  struggle. 

But  these  issues,  sad  and  perplexing  as  they  were,  did  not  compare 
in  magnitude  to  the  calamitous  internal  conflict  that  was  stimulated 
by  Sheba,  the  Benjaminite,  whose  bugle  blast  upon  the  mountains  of 
Ephraim  called  to  his  help  men  of  war  from  the  ten  tribes,  whose 
loyalty  to  his  cause  seemed  to  be  unshaken,  even  by  the  hitherto 
powerful  arm  of  David  himself. 

Now  from  the  time  Joab  was  dismissed  by  David  as  general-in- 
chief  of  the  army,  and  Amasa  put  in  his  place,  he  was  revengefully 
angry,  and  sought  an  opportunity  to  put  his  successor  to  death,  but 
made  no  demonstration  of  his  intention  ;  David,  fearing  an  uprising  of 
Sheba,  the  son  of  Bichri,  a  Benjamite,  might  result  seriously  to  the 
prosperity  of  his  kingdom,  sent  Amasa  to  call  the  men  of  Judah  to 
battle  against  him.  And  when  they  halted  at  the  great  stone  Avhich 
is  in  Gibeon,  Joab  found  it  opportune  to  murder  Amasa,  under  the 
guise  of  friendship,  then  proceeded  with  the  army,  loyal  to  David,  and 
defeated  Sheba's,  forces  and  won  another  victory  for  the  king  (2  Sam. 
XX.  1-22). 

ABSALOM'S  PILLAE. 

Absalom,  the  ambitious  aspirant  to  the  throne  of  his  father,  during 
his  more  quiet  life  caused  to  be  erected  a  shaft;  or  monument  to  his 
memory  in  the  king's  dale,  which  is  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  known 
in  earlier  Scriptures  as  the  Valley  of  Shaveh.  The  shaft  was  marble 
according  to  Josephus  and  was  built  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the 


122  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

young  prince,  because  at  tbat  time  lie  had  no  son  to  keep  his  name  in 
remembrance. 

ABSALOM'S  TOMB. 

It  is  stated  in  another  chapter  that  Absalom  had  three  sons,  and  one 
daughter  of  very  great  beauty,  named  Tamer  ;  the  general  opinion  is, 
the  pillar  was  erected  some  time  prior  to  the  time  his  children  were 
born.  In  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  on  the  east  side  of  the  City  of 
Jerusalem,  an  old  tomb  is  known  as  Absalom's  Pillar;  it  is  about 
twenty  feet  square  and  forty  feet  high  from  the  foundation  to  the  top 
of  the  dome. 

The  origin  of  this  monument  is  not  positively  settled ;  some  suppose 
it  has  been  substituted  for  the  one  built  by  Absalom,  others  are  of  the 
opinion  it  is  the  original  shaft  itself;  let  these  opinions  be  true  or 
otherwise,  it  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  prominent  monuments 
of  all  those  in  the  venerable  valley.  It  is  held  expressly  odious  in 
Jewish  estimation ;  they  hate  the  very  memory  of  Absalom's  name,  so 
much  so,  that  when  passing  his  pillar  they  hurl  stones  of  indignation 
at  it,  on  account  of  his  rebellious  conduct  toward  his  father. 

The  whole  of  the  shaft  bears  prominent  indications  of  Jewish 
violence,  it  being  full  of  scars  from  top  to  bottom.  2  Sam.  xviii.  18 ; 
Gen.  xiv.  17.  The  disgraceful  fate  of  Absalom  should  serve  as  a  last- 
ingly impressive  lesson  of  special  admonition  to  the  young,  they 
should  remember,  it  is  far  more  desirable  to  sleep  in  a  tomb  of  the 
blessed,  than  one  that  the  living  of  an  hundred  generations  will  curse 
when  they  pass  it,  as  the  incensed  Jews  do  the  shaft  of  the  rebel  son 
of  David,  whose  grave  was  a  deep  ditch,  having  a  pile  of  stones  to 
cover  his  mortal  remains,  in  the  wild  forests  of  Ephraim,  instead  of 
being  honorably  buried  in  the  rich  sepulchre  he  prepared  for  himself 
in  the  king's  dale. 

VALLEY  OF  HINNOM. 

The  Valley  of  Hinnom  is  one  of  the  most  notable  of  those  in 
Palestine  and  one  of  the  most  widely  known  in  the  world,  because  of 
the  peculiar  history  connected  with  it.  This  renowned  valley  is  situated 
on  the  west  of  Jerusalem,  separating  Mt.  Zion  on  the  north,  from  the 
Hill  of  Evil  Counsel  and  the  Plain  of  Raphaim  on  the  south.  It  is 
first  mentioned  in  history,  in  describing  the  boundary  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  which  is  so  accurately  drawn  that  modern  visitors  have, 
with  little  difficulty,  traced  them.  "The  border  line  of  Benjamin  leav- 
ing En-rogel  went  up  by  the  valley  of  the  Son  of  Hinnom  unto  the  south- 
west of  the  Jebusite ;  the  same  is  Jerusalem,  and  the  border  went  up  to  the 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  123 

top  of  the  mountain  that  lieth  before  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  westward, 
which  is  at  the  end  of  the  Valley  of  the  Giants,  northward."  The 
Valley  of  the  Giants  mentioned  here  is  that  also  known  as  Raphaim, 
where  the  Philistines  were  defeated  by  King  David.  At  the  point  where 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom  turns  eastward  it  rapidly  increases  in  depth, 
and  as  it  passes  along  the  southern  boundary  of  Mt.  Zion,  which  rises 
high  above  it,  a  beautiful  observation  can  be  obtained  of  the  mountain- 
ous situation  of  Jerusalem. 

HILL  OF  EVIL  COUNSEL. 

The  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel  is  on  the  south,  which  is  high,  steep  and 
rugged ;  it  contains  many  tombs,  hewn  in  the  rocks  ;  the  most  of  them 
are  empty,  the  remains  of  their  illustrious  dead  have  been  removed  to 
other  parts,  and  some  of  them,  it  is  highly  probable,  have  never  been 
occupied.  This  will  not  seem  strange  when  we  call  to  mind  that  it  was 
a  common  custom  for  people  in  olden  times  to  have  their  tombs  pre- 
pared many  years  before  they  died. 

It  was  one  of  their  supreme  thoughts,  when  they  came  into  manhood, 
how  and  where  to  prepare  their  sejiulchres.  This  was  a  common  cus- 
tom in  Egypt  long  before  Moses  led  the  Hebrews  from  their  bondage. 
Many  of  those  ancient  tombs,  that  were  built  at  a  great  cost,  are  yet 
standing  as  evidences  of  the  fact. 

It  is  likely,  the  Hebrews  brought  the  idea  with  them  when  they 
entered  the  "  Land  of  Promise."  Absalom,  who  has  been  mentioned, 
had  a  stately  monument  built  in  the  king's  dale,  to  perpetuate  his 
memory ;  Joseph  of  Arimathea  prepared  his  tomb,  and  laid  the  body 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  in  it  after  the  crucifixion;  but  the  intention  of 
Joseph,  when  he  had  the  sepulchre  hewn,  was  to  have  it  ready  for  his 
own  body  when  death  should  come  to  him. 

This  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel  is  the  traditional  summit  on  which  Caia- 
phas,  the  High  Priest,  counseled  with  the  Sanhedrim  Court,  to  put 
Christ  to  death.  Then  is  seen  another  place  high  up  the  hill,  which  is 
of  great  importance  to  visitors,  if  the  tradition  as  to  its  identity  is 
correctly  drawn.      It  is  called  Aceldama,  now  known  as  Hok-el-Dum. 

POTTEE'S  FIELD. 

It  is  directly  opposite  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam ;  there  are,  as  is  natural 
to  suppose,  doubts  existing  among  some  of  those  who  have  made  inves- 
tigations as  to  the  identity  of  this  as  the  "  Field  of  Blood,"  nevertheless 
it  has  great  prominence  as  such  because  it  has  been  for  a  long  time 


124  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

greatly  reverenced  by  Christians,  and  many  pilgrims  who  died  while 
visiting  the  holy  places  about  Jerusalem,  have  been  buried  there. 

The  soil  is  believed  to  be  expressly  efficient  in  promoting  decomposi- 
tion ;  for  this  reason  many  ship-loads  of  it  were  taken,  by  special  order, 
to  the  Compo-Santo,  at  Pisa,  Italy.  AVe  were  conducted  to  this  old 
cemetery,  while  in  Pisa,  in  which  this  soil  was  placed.  It  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  sacred  and  reverential  places  in  the  city. 

Thei'e  are  several  sepulchres  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Potter's 
Field,  of  Hebrew  and  Greek  origin ;  many  of  them  are  very  ancient. 
Here  the  betrayer  of  our  Lord,  after  being  seized  with  overpowering 
condemnation  as  a  result  of  his  vicious  and  deliberate  crime,  went  out 
and  hanged  himself.  This  site  is,  therefore,  looked  upon  as  that  with 
which  the  money  given  Judas  for  delivering  Christ  into  the  hands  of 
his  enemies  was  bought,  and  has  continued  until  now  to  be  a  burying- 
ground  for  strangers. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  all  strangers  who  die  in  Jerusalem  are  buried 
in  Aceldama.  There  are  very  many  tombs  here  ;  some  of  them  are 
those  of  hermits,  who  lived  in  Jerusalem  in  very  early  times ;  others 
are  the  silent  homes  of  many  crusaders  who  died  here ;  others  are  of 
very  recent  date.  Pains  have  been  taken  to  have  beautiful  inscriptions 
carved  on  the  face  of  several  tombs. 

These  places,  so  important  in  sacred  history,  being  in  some  way 
connected  with  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  has  caused  it  to  be  mentioned 
many  times  in  connection  with  them,  but  this  valley  became  more 
prominently  noted  after  it  was  made  the  head  of  the  idolatrous  wor- 
ship, for  the  people  who  had  largely  estranged  themselves  from  the 
God  of  their  fathers.     (See  Matt,  xxvii.  7-8 ;  Acts  i.  19;  Matt,  xxvii. 

3-10.) 

IDOLATEY  OF  ISRAEL. 

Many  of  the  Israelites  brought  their  innocent  children  to  be  sacri- 
ficed to  Moloch ;  this  was  practiced  there  and  at  the  high  places  of 
Tophet ;  which,  according  to  Jerome,  were  situated  at  the  uojth  of  the 
valley,  near  what  is  known  at  present  as  Bir-Eyuh.  The  procedure 
was  many  times  revolting  to  humanity ;  the  worshipers,  or  many  of 
them,  would  freely  bring  their  children  where  these  terrible  sacrifices 
were  carried  on,  and  would  cause  their  sons  and  daughters  to  pass 
through  the  fire. 

There  is  a  Jewish  tradition  stating  that  the  statue  of  Moloch  was 
brass,  having  a  body  of  a  man  and  a  head  of  a  lion ;  its  interior  was 
hollow,  and  fitted  up  with  a  furnace,  by  which  it  was  made  red  hot. 
The  children  to  be  sacrificed  were  then  placed  in  the  red  hot  arms  of 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  125 

the  devouring  image  to  burn  to  deatli,  and  to  drown  their  pensive 
lamentations  and  heart-rending  cries  men  would  beat  drums. 

This  abominable  institution  was  first  established  by  King  Solomon : 
"  Then  did  Solomon  build  a  high  place  for  Chemosh,  the  abomination 
of  Moab,  in  the  hill  which  is  before  Jerusalem,  and  for  Moloch,  the 
abomination  of  the  children  of  Ammon  "  (see  1  Kings,  xi.  7). 

This  wise  king,  who  was  specially  endowed  of  God  with  extraor- 
dinary wisdom,  proved  himself  to  be  at  length  one  of  the  most  unwor- 
thy of  all  the  kings  who  had  reigned  on  the  throne  at  Jerusalem. 
The  reign  of  this  yoxmg  monarch  began  with  copious  indications  of 
being  a  great  blessing  to  his  people,  a  guide  to  lead  them  in  the  way 
of  righteousness. 

But  when  his  probation  was  ended  he  left  a  deep  black  cloud,  pregnant 
with  many  baneful  issues,  hanging  over  the  nation,  largely  caused  by 
the  polygamous  character  he  so  fondly  nursed.  Solomon  was  not  con- 
tent with  the  females  of  Hebrew  origin,  but  took  to  himself  wives  of 
several  surrounding  nations,  and  thereby  brought  into  the  capital  many 
whose  religion  was  idolatrous,  and  whose  gods  were  not  the  Lord. 
This  forbidden  conduct  introduced  idolatry  into  the  land,  which  con- 
tinued increasing  until  it  had  nearly  supplanted  the  worship  ordained 
of  the  Lord. 

The  Mount  of  Offence  was  almost  covered  with  idol  gods,  before  whom 
the  people  reverentially  bowed  (2  Kings  xxiii.  10-13 ;  Isa.  vii.  31). 

THE  KINGDOM  EMBAREASSED. 

The  luxury  and  profligacy  that  became  popular  in  connection  with 
the  fatally  numerous  marriages  of  the  king,  and  Jerusalem  being  situ- 
ated away  from  the  centre  of  the  nation,  where  it  could  not  be  in 
sympathy  with  the  tribes  of  the  far-away  north,  were  instrumental  in 
breaking  the  ties  that  bound  the  nation,  and  the  increasing  lust  of  the 
king  for  magnificence,  greatly  aided  in  the  work  of  destruction  ;  for 
it  caused  the  country  at  large  to  become  impoverished  that  the  capital 
might  be  made  rich. 

Then  in  the  extreme  moment,  when  foes  sprang  up  from  the  south 
and  on  the  north,  under  Hadad,  who  dwelt  among  the  mountains  of 
Edom,  and  Rezon  from  the  plains  of  Syria,  Solomon  found  his  power 
had  departed.  This  young  king  had  a  most  brilliant  prospect  before 
him  to  become  the  most  cautious,  progressive,  and  powerful  monarch 
of  those  who  preceded  him,  or  any  that  should  succeed  him  to  the 
throne  of  Isi'ael. 

His   mother,   Bathsheba,   who   was  formerly  the  wife   of    Uriah, 


126  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

an  officer  in  David's  army,  paid  special  attention  to  her  beloved  son, 
Solomon,  from  infancy,  and  trained  him  with  all  the  tenderness  an 
affectionate  mother  of  her  day  could  command  ;  he  was  also  put  under 
the  care  of  pious  Nathan,  who  w^as  one  of  the  chief  advisers  of  David, 
for  mental  training. 

It  may  be  seen  very  clearly  that  Solomon  was  specially  reared  in 
the  fear  of  God.  He  being  very  young,  not  having  reached  his 
majority,  when  the  responsible  duties  of  the  throne  were  accorded  him, 
he  sought  direction  from  God,  and  above  all  other  honors  he  prayed 
for  wisdom.  In  answer  to  his  prayer  the  Lord  endowed  him  with  such 
gifts  that  he  astonished  his  subjects,  and  impressed  them  that  he  was 
the  proper  man  to  hold  the  sceptre  of  power. 

The  first  demonstration  of  his  superior  judgment,  was  that  most 
masterly  decision  between  the  dispute  of  the  two  women  over  the  child 
that  both  claimed.  The  young  king  had  a  double  opportuuity  for 
unlimited  success ;  the  nations  round  about  were  at  peace  and  ready 
to  form  friendly  alliance  with  him. 

SOLOMON'S  EAELY  BLUNDEK. 

The  powerful  Phoenicians,  who  were  masters  of  the  sea,  were  on 
most  intimate  terms  of  friendship  with  him,  and  above  all  he  had  the 
blessing  of  God  with  him,  and  His  hand  to  guide  him ;  there  was  for  a 
time  nothing  but  success  in  the  path  of  the  lad  king,  such  as  had  never 
visited  Israel  before.  He  built  cities,  where  there  had  been  naught  but  a 
dreary  wilderness ;  he  also  built  great  palaces  and  splendid  gardens, 
and  royal  stables,  that  furnished  room  for  forty  thousand  horses,  and 
one  thousand  four  hundred  chariots. 

Solomon  also  caused  spacious  parks  to  be  made,  which  were  watered 
by  aqueducts  leading  from  the  great  pools,  nine  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
The  glory  and  unequaled  splendor  with  which  Solomon  was  adorned 
caused  him  to  turn  his  mind  from  the  right  way,  and  to  forget  the 
counsel  of  his  dying  father,  to  feel  his  superior  importance  and  to 
incline  his  heart  toward  idolatry. 

It  is  proper  to  say  for  Solomon  that  for  the  first  few  years  of  his 
kingship  his  administration  was  one  that  exhibited  wisdom  and  great 
caution,  but  when  his  fame  reached  beyond  the  confines  of  the  imme- 
diate surrounding  nations  to  those  remotely  distant,  so  that  potentates 
and  rulers  from  far  away  lands  began  to  lavish  praises  of  high  commenda- 
tion upon  him,  Solomon  grew  proud  and  sinful.  One  of  his  earliest 
grave  mistakes  was  his  marriage  to  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  King  of 
Egypt. 


EVENTS  IN   AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  127- 

This  woman  fondly  admired  the  idolatrous  worship  of  Egypt,  and 
was  not  slow  in  her  endeavors  to  persuade  Solomon  to  introduce  it 
into  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and  it  seemed  lier  influence  had  some 
weight  with  her  husband,  for  he  at  length  yielded  to  the  toleration  of 
false  gods,  as  has  been  related.  There  was  a  growing  inclination  rest- 
ing in  Solomon  to  polygamy,  and,  being  bent  on  indulging  this  incli- 
nation, he  caused  the  harem  to  be  enlarged,  which  was  a  significant 
indication  of  a  great  increase  in  the  king's  household ;  this  fact  was 
soon  developed,  for  Solomon  burdened  the  nation  with  the  additional 
responsibility  of  caring  for  the  surprising  number  of  seven  hundred 
wives  and  three  hundred  concubines  (1  Kings  iii.  15-28),  whom  he  had 
chosen  for  himself,  selected  from  his  own  nation  and  those  of  others 
round  about.  These  ten  hundred  women  were  furnished  with  every- 
thing necessary  to  make  them  royal  in  appearance ;  they  wore  robes  of 
Phoenician  purple,  with  gold  gilt,  and  their  table  furnishings  were  the 
best  in  the  market.  The  great  domestic  expenses  of  Solomon,  in  con- 
nection with  his  general  and  incidental  obligations,  were  more  than  his 
yearly  income  of  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  talents  in  gold  (which 
amounts  to  about  thirty-five  millions  of  dollars  in  our  money).  He, 
therefore,  in  order  to  discharge  those  obligations,  exorbitantly  taxed 
the  people,  many  of  whom  were  distressed,  so  that  the  king,  who  in  the 
beginning  of  his  reign,  displayed  so  great  wisdom,  fell  into  a  deep 
gulf  of  degradations,  and  when  the  shades  of  death  were  upon  him 
he  found  himself  far  from  the  path  in  which  he  first  began  to  walk. 

POOLS  AND  FOUNTAINS. 

One  of  the  many  embarrassments  which  every  visitor  to  Jeru- 
salem must  encounter,  is  the  liability  of  being  made  sick,  and  per- 
haps seriously  so,  from  the  use  of  the  water ;  therefore,  strangers  are 
admonished  by  the  leading  physicians  to  guard  against  the  free  use  of 
it,  unless  it  has  been  boiled ;  and  even  then  it  should  be  taken  cautiously. 
In  many  instances  where  this  advice  has  been  discarded  t\w:  results 
have  been  deeply  regretted. 

I  suppose  no  one,  whose  life  was  spared,  has  felt  the  impulse  of  dis- 
obedience more  than  the  writer,  who  at  one  time  seemed  to  be  near 
death's  door,  which  was  the  result  of  disobedience ;  it  is  far  better  to 
be  painfully  thirsty  in  that  far-ofi"  land  than  to  be  painfully  in  need  of 
a  physician.  Jerusalem  is  chiefly  supplied  with  water  from  cisterns  ; 
the  most  of  them  are  inadequate  to  hold  enough  water  to  supply  the 
people  throughout  the  dry  season  ;  then  the  public  cisterns  and  pools 
furnish  water,  until  the  rainy  season  comes  on  again,  when  the  small 


128  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

ones  are  replenished.     These  reservoirs  are  either  hewn  in  the  rock  or 

built  of  stones,  having  arches  over  them,  and  a  small  opening  at  the  top 

to  allow  the  water  to  run  into  them  from  the  tops  of  the  houses  during 

the  winter  rains. 

THE  GREAT  CISTERNS. 

Some  of  them  are  very  ancient,  reaching  as  far  back  as  the  time 
of  the  Hebrews,  if  not  those  of  the  Jebusites.  There  are  also  a  number  of 
cisterns  under  the  Temple  area  that  are  very  large ;  the  ancient  writers, 
both  Jewnsh  and  Gentile,  in  connection  with  the  united  opinion  of 
the  Jews,  Christians  and  Moslems,  affirm  there  is  an  inexhaustible 
supply  of  water  in  them  ;  those  who  have  investigated  a  portion  of  these 
excavations  say  the  greater  part  of  the  area  is  hollowed,  containing 
vast  caves  and  tunnels. 

The  largest  of  these  cisterns  is  called  the  great  sea ;  the  attention  of 
our  party  was  specially  called  to  it  while  passing  through  the  enclosure  ; 
these  cisterns  are  said  to  be  the  reservoirs  for  the  water  supplies  in  the 
time  of  Solomon,  and  were  closely  guarded  by  trusty  men  ;  care  was 
also  taken  that  the  walls  were  kept  covered  so  as  to  prevent  anything 
being  put  in  them  that  would  endanger  life.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
largest  of  these  cisterns  will  hold  two  million  gallons ;  there  is  another 
highly  important  reservoir  called  "  the  wall  of  the  leaf,"  having  a  tank, 
forty-two  feet  deep,  which  Professor  Warren  places  to  the  northwest 
end  of  it,  immediately  under  the  Temple  altar,  and  Prof.  Candor  locates 
the  man-hole  just  outside  the  water  gate. 

The  water  supply  in  these  reservoirs  was  obtained  from  three 
sources :  from  the  pools  of  Solomon,  the  Great  Cistern  north  of  the 
Damascus  Gate,  and  the  rain  fall  on  the  Temple  Court.  There  are  a 
few  pools  of  water  in  and  close  to  the  city.  The  renowned  Pool  of 
Siloam  is  located  at  the  foot  of  O'Phal,  near  the  point  where  the 
Tyrcepseon  Valley  opens  into  the  Kedron  on  the  south  side  of  the  city. 
This  pool  has  been  carefully  walled  so  as  to  form  a  small  reservoir 
about  fifty  feet  long,  eighteen  feet  wide  and  nineteen  feet  deep,  and 
supplies  the  people  of  Siloam  with  water. 

The  little  maidens  cheerfully  go  to  this  pool  with  their  water-pots, 
amusing  themselves  in  song  while  bearing  with  a  steady  head  a  pot 
full  of  water  up  the  hill  side.  The  pool  is  considered  to  be  highly 
medicinal  by  the  people  in  its  locality  and  they  use  it  as  such. 

Somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pool  once  stood  "  the  Tower  of 
Siloam,  which  fell  and  killed  eighteen  men."  Our  Lord  referred  to 
the  sad  event  to  teach  the  superstitious,  that  calamities  are  not  always 
evidences  of  special  guilt ;  this  pool  became  specially  prominent  after 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  129 

the  miracle  our  Lord  performed  when  He  caused  the  eyes  of  the 
young  man,  who  had  been  blind  from  his  birth,  to  be  healed. 

This  poor  fellow  was  sitting  by  the  wayside  of  the  public  thorough- 
fare, begging,  which  is  a  custom  still  continued ;  Jesus,  coming  along, 
had  comjDassion  on  him  and  healed  him  ;  this  occurred  on  the  Sabbath- 
day,  and  our  Lord  had  just  finished  administering  a  stunning  rebuke 
to  the  Jews,  which  made  them  so  deeply  incensed,  they  had  concluded 
to  stone  Him,  having  already  gathered  stones  for  that  purpose ;  but 
Jesus  eluded  them,  and  left  the  temple  without  their  knowledge.  As 
Jesus  was  passing  along  He  saw  this  blind  young  man  ;  He  went  to 
him,  spat  on  the  ground,  mixed  a  little  clay,  then  anointed  the  man's 
eyes,  saying  to  him,  "  Go  wash  in  the  Pool  of  Siloam  ; "  he  went,  and 
washed,  receiving  his  sight ;  then  there  was  great  excitement,  the  whole 
city  was  stirred  to  almost  wild  fury. 

The  Pharisees,  after  examining  the  matter,  charged  that  Christ  was 
not  from  God,  nor  did  He  do  the  works  of  the  Lord,  because  He  did 
these  things  on  the  Sabbath-day.  How  unreasonable !  Well  might  the 
Lord  say,  they  "  strain  at  gnats  and  swallow  a  camel,"  for  they  had 
just  attempted  to  do  Him  violence  on  the  same  day,  in  that  they  would 
have  stoned  Him,  had  He  not  escaped  from  their  murderous  hands. 
Now  before  their  ire  is  cooled  they  charge  that  Christ  is  a  bad  man, 
because  He  caused  a  poor  blind  man  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  seeing, 
as  they  had.     (John  ix.  7-11.) 

These  would-be  lights  of  the  people,  were  so  full  of  animosity  against 
Christ,  they  attempted  to  turn  the  man  from  Him  who  had  just  had 
his  sight  restored  and,who  had,  only  a  few  moments  jDrior,  looked  upon  the 
world,  and  the  face  of  his  mother  for  the  first  time  in  life ;  but  his 
obligations  to  Jesus  were  too  sacred  and  binding,  and  the  friendly  act 
of  Christ  was  such  as  none  other  had  done  or  even  attempted ;  there- 
fore he  would  not  take  sides  with  the  Pharisees  against  his  Benefactor. 

POOL  OF  SILOAM. 

The  pool  is  supplied  with  an  imperishable  subterranean  current. 
Here  the  Jews  came  in  olden  times  to  celebrate  the  festival,  when  they 
"would  sing  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Isaiah.  The  fountain  issues  from  a 
rock  thirty  feet  below  the  surface,  and  is  reached  by  descending  a  flight 
of  twenty  steps 

The  traditional  Pool  of  Bethesda,the  "  House  of  Mercy,"  was  a  place 
of  resort  for  the  sick  of  all  diseases ;  at  this  pool  they  were  constantly 
waiting  and  watching  for  the  moving  of  the  water,  that  they  might  be 
9 


130  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

the  first  to  enter  and  be  healed.  According  to  the  best  obtainable 
information,  the  location  of  the  ancient  pool  is  along  the  north  wall  of 
the  temple  area,  and  is  at  present  a  dry  reservoir  filled  with  debris 
from  the  foundations  of  new  buildings  ;  it  is  estimated  to  have  been 
four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  over  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
wide  and  seventy-five  feet  deep. 

To  this  mysterious  pool  an  angel  of  the  Lord  came  at  certain 
seasons,  and  troubled  the  water,  at  which  time,  the  peculiar  healing 
properties  would  cure  any  kind  of  disease  known  to  lodge  in  man ;  for 
this  reason  various  invalids  were  there,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  leper, 
the  halt,  and  all,  whatsoever  might  be  the  malady,  were  found  waiting 
for  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  to  stir  the  quiet  waters. 

Some  of  the  diseased  would  manage  to  get  in  without  help ;  others 
were  so  greatly  smitten  they  had  to  be  helped  in  by  some  one  who  was 
by,  when  the  water  was  moved.  One  poor  man  had  been  there  thirty 
and  eight  years,  lying  on  his  couch  waiting  for  some  one  to  help  him 
in,  but  had  not  been  blessed  with  a  helping  hand  from  any  of  those 
who  pretended  to  seek  the  good  of  the  helpless  ;  some  one  would  always 
get  in  before  him. 

It  would  seem  proper  to  infer  from  his  continuance  there,  his 
purpose  was  fixed  to  be  healed  or  die  on  the  porch,  where  he  was 
couching ;  Jesus,  passing  that  way  going  up  to  the  feast,  saw  the  man, 
and,  knowing  his  faith,  had  compassion  on  him.  Christ  was  touched 
with  sympathy  for  the  man.  It  was  likely  the  poor  man  had  been 
there  so  long  and  been  seen  by  so  many  like  the  impotent  folks  about 
Jerusalem  at  the  present,  no  one  took  notice  of  him ;  there  he  lay 
poor,  friendless,  and  nearly  worn  out  by  the  constant  innovations  of  his 
infirmity. 

Jesus  went  to  him  and  asked,  "  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole  ?  "  The 
man  began  relating  his  sad  experience ;  his  hope  of  being  healed  had 
been  blasted  so  many  times  during  the  thirty-eight  years  of  his  stay 
there.  He  had  made  the  attempt  to  get  in,  but  found  himself  unable, 
having  no  strength,  and  no  one  ofiered  to  help ;  at  least  thirty-eight  had 
been  healed  in  his  presence  while  he  waited.  He  could  only  look 
while  they  leaped  for  joy  when  such  an  one  came  up  restored,  and  wish 
that  such  would  some  day  be  his  good  fortune ;  here  he  was  compelled 
to  remain  from  year  to  year,  hoping  and  trusting  some  one  would  come 
and  help  him.  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Arise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk ; " 
the  man  obeyed  and  was  instantly  made  whole. 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  131 

THE  SIEGE  OF  TITUS. 

The  siege  of  Titus,  which  caused  the  fatal  fall  of  Jerusalem, 
occurred  in  April  a.d.  70,  during  the  season  of  the  "  feast,"  when  the 
city  was  crowded  with  adoring  worshipers  ;  who,  according  to  custom, 
had  gone  up  from  distant  places  to  worship  the  God  of  their  fathers,  in 
the  courts  of  the  temple,  which  was  so  fondly  admired  by  every  Jew 
in  the  land.  When  Titus  stationed  a  portion  of  his  troojjs  at  the  foot 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  east  of  the  city,  he  was  bent  on  its  capture,  at 
whatever  cost  or  sacrifice  he  would  be  compelled  to  make.  The  events 
connected  with  this  terrible  conflict  are  regarded  as  the  most  touching, 
lamentable,  and  barbarous  on  record,  and  may  be  catalogued  among 
those  crimes  commonly  indulged  by  those  whose  ambition  is  only  grat- 
ified when  their  hands  are  stained  with  the  blood  of  their  fellows. 
Josephus  graj)hically  discloses  the  shocking  event  that  doomed  to  death, 
by  a  most  merciless  massacre,  a  million  human  beings.  The  Jews  had 
for  some  time  indicated  in  several  ways  their  great  dissatisfaction  with 
their  subordinate  relation  to  the  Roman  throne,  and  had  embraced 
several  ineSective  measures  to  free  themselves  The  exhibition  of  dis- 
contentment on  the  part  of  the  Jews  seemed  to  have  aroused  their 
oppressors  to  be  more  rigid  than  before,  and  even  to  reduce  them  to  a 
more  humiliating  subordination.  To  this  end  Titus,  the  general-in- 
chief  of  the  Roman  army,  bent  his  energy ;  having  collected  a  very 
strong  and  well-equipped  force,  composed  of  several  legions  and  auxil- 
iaries, marched  to  the  city.  When  he  arrived  at  ]\Iount  Scopus,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Jerusalem,  he  was  joined  by  two  more 
legions  from  the  west,  and  the  other,  which  was  the  tenth,  came  up 
from  Jericho,  their  farthest  eastern  station  in  Palestine,  and  camped 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  but  was  afterwards  ordered  to  the  foot  of  the 
mount  and  stationed  between  its  western  base  and  the  Kedi'on,  from 
which  point  they  were  to  begin  the  siege  ;  here  they  were  reinforced 
by  several  legions  from  the  region  of  the  Euphrates.  The  army  was 
then  making  cautious  preparations  for  a  deadly  conflict.  There  was 
great  agitation  and  distress  in  Jerusalem,  it  being  thronged  with 
strangers  who  were  not  prepared  for  war  ;  and  in  the  meantime,  there 
was  bitter  discord  existing  between  the  factions,  who  w^ere  uncompro- 
misingly at  variance  with  each  other.  Such  was  their  blindness,  they 
could  not  see  the  danger  lurking  at  the  gates  ;  they  were  at  that  time 
doing  themselves  jmore  ,harm  than  the  strong  forces  stationed  on  the 
outside.  The  vast  stores  of  provisions  they  had  provided  against  the 
day  of  want  were  destroyed  by  their  own  hands,  and  was  the  cause 


132  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

of  many  thousands   being  driven   to  starvation   a   sliort  time  after- 
wards. 

The  army  of  Titus  was  besieging  the  city,  and  the  outer  wall,  that 
had  been  extended  by  Agrippa,  and  the  suburbs  soon  fell  into  his 
hands ;  but  the  strongholds  were  so  fortified  that  the  general  found  it 
required  more  than  an  ordinary  struggle  to  capture  them.  He  then 
made  further  preparations  for  his  success  by  cutting  a  deep  trench 
about  the  city,  and  compass  it  about  with  the  army  so  as  to  keep  the  peo- 
ple within  the  walls.  The  plan  was  a  great  success.  In  a  short  time  the 
stores  became  exhausted,  and  famine  began  to  show  j^rominent  signs  of 
a  terrible  crisis  ;  for  the  people  were  dying  from  it  in  greater  numbers 
than  by  the  vengeance  of  the  Roman  army ;  and  yet  it  is  a  surprising 
fact,  that  even  under  these  circumstances,  the  factions  were  so  blind  to 
their  interest,  the  spirit  they  entertained  seemed  to  them  of  more  im- 
portance than  the  union  for  self-protection  against  an  invading  foe ;  so 
that  when  there  was  an  interval  of  hostilities  with  the  Romans,  these 
poor,  foolish  people,  filled  to  overflowing  with  selfish  ambition,  and 
blindness,  were  up  to  their  necks  in  war  among  themselves.  Finally 
efforts  were  made  to  lay  down  their  internal  strife,  and  make  arrange- 
ments for  self-protection  against  the  hostile  enemy  without,  and  they 
unitedly  did  good  work,  but  it  only  lasted  for  a  short  while.  The 
Romans  were  soon  convinced  that  stronger  and  more  cautious  prepara- 
tions were  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  siege  ;  and  that  the 
needed  arrangements  might  be  made,  they  discontinued  the  engage- 
ment of  hostilities  until  they  had  completed  them.  The  factions  whose 
efforts  had  been  united  against  their  common  foe  misunderstood  the 
situation ;  they  supposed  their  enemies  had  given  up  the  struggle. 
Feeling  themselves  secure  from  the  death-dealing  darts  of  the  invaders, 
they  returned  to  their  work  of  self-destruction.  Assassins  j^rowled 
through  the  streets,  and  in  every  house  the  melancholy  impress  of  death 
was  left.  In  the  meanwhile,  Titus  turned  his  attention  to  the  northern 
wall ;  he  threw  up  embankments  as  close  to  it  as  possible,  upon  which 
wooden  towers  were  placed  for  the  guards.  The  Mount  of  Olives,  and 
other  places  where  trees  were  numerous,  were  robbed  to  assist  in  the 
perparations.  The  Jews,  seeing  their  true  situation,  resolved  to  unite 
again  for  their  self-defense  and  did  well  for  a  short  time.  Titus  showed 
repeated  evidences  of  a  desire  to  save  the  city  from  total  destruction, 
which  again  caused  the  Jews  to  be  misled,  who  took  them  as  indica- 
tions of  weakness ;  he  offered  them  liberal  terms  if  they  would  peace- 
ably surrender  and  submit  themselves  to  the  Roman  power.  But  the 
stubborn  Jews  would  not  accept  any  of  his  propositions,  notwithstand- 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JEKUSALEM.  133 

ing  the  people  of  the  city  were  dying  like  sheep  on  account  of  the 
raging  famine ;  thousands  of  the  half-starved  people,  not  being  able  to 
obtain  food  in  the  city,  ventured  beyond  the  walls,  seeking  it  in  the 
valley ;  this  procedure  Avas  fatal  to  many.  The  Romans,  seeing  them, 
would  capture  and  slay  them  by  either  hanging,  or  otherwise  torturing 
them  to  death  in  the  presence  of  their  friends  who  were  on  the  walls. 
It  is  said  that  those  tortures  were  so  numerous  that  the  soldiers  used 
all  the  material  of  which  the  crosses  were  made,  and  were  compelled 
to  use  other  methods  of  punishment.  Titus,  being  persuaded  that  he 
could  not  bring  the  Jews  to  his  term=i,  and  they  had  no  disposition  what- 
ever to  surrender,  made  an  effort  to  compel  them  to  do  so,  or  com- 
pletely reduce  them  by  starvation.  He  then  caused  a  trench  to  be 
made  around  the  city,  so  as  to  hem  the  people  in,  and  at  the  same 
time  preventing  outsiders  from  carrying  them  supplies ;  and  thus 
increased  the  intensity  of  the  famine  which  was  then  sweeping  the 
people  into  eternity  like  a  imaging  epidemic. 

The  temple  siege  was  a  literal  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of  Jesus 
concerning  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  declaring  it  should  be 
trenched  about,  and  the  people  should  be  compassed  by  their  enemies. 
It  seems  very  strange  they  did  not  call  to  mind  this  doleful  jirediction 
which  had  only  been  spoken  about  forty  years  prior.  They  had  eyes, 
but  could  not  see,  and  hearts,  but  did  not  understand,  and  their  enmity 
was  so  strongly  expressed  against  our  Lord,  they  could  not  allow 
themselves  to  confide  in  Him,  although  everything  He  had  said  was 
glaringly  manifested  before  them.  Their  blindness  and  obstinacy  led 
them  to  destruction.  The  plan  of  Titus  worked  well  and  served  the 
purpose  designed.  The  famine  increased  so  alarmingly,  there  could 
scarcely  be  found  a  house  in  Jerusalem  in  which  there  was  not  some 
dead  as  a  result  of  it ;  and  the  upper  rooms  of  the  houses  throughout 
the  city  were  filled  with  corpses.  The  dead  bodies  strewn  along  the 
streets  were  as  thick  as  though  they  had  been  leveled  by  the  army. 
Josephus  says  that  the  people  who  survived  the  terrible  plague  were 
unable  to  see  to  the  burial  of  their  dead  relatives,  and  common  consent 
was  given  to  throw  the  dead  over  the  walls  into  the  valley.  It  is  said  that 
six  hundred  thousand  were  in  this  way  removed  from  the  city,  and  one 
hundred  and  thirteen  thousand  were  buried  at  public  expense.  It  is 
said  that  Titus,  the  lion-hearted  general,  wept  when  he  beheld  the  work 
of  the  famine,  and  the  deep  sorrow  that  had  visited  the  people,  and 
called  heaven  to  witness  that  it  was  not  his  enmity,  but  the  madness  of 
the  Jews  themselves,  was  the  cause  of  such  an  unprecedented  calamity. 
The  crisis  reached  such  a  degree  of  distress,  the  people  were  final' y 


134  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

driven  to  despotism,  to  the  extent  that  there  was  a  total  lack  of 
sympathy  existing  even  for  the  nearest  relatives  and  dearest  friends. 
The  strong  would  hunt  the  weak,  and  if  any  food  was  found  about  them 
they  would  forcibly  take  it,  even  if  it  was  in  their  mouths. 

The  magnitude  of  the  situation  can  be  partially  estimated,  when 
it  is  called  to  mind  that  a  mother,  bearing  in  her  heart  all  the 
maternal  tenderness  possible  for  her  child,  was  so  frantic  from  the 
dreadful  pressure  of  starvation,  would  break  the  ties  of  motherhood 
that  entwined  the  babe  to  her  by  tenderness  and  love,  and  kill  and  cook 
the  child,  eating  one  portion  of  it  one  day,  and  the  other  the  following. 

With  this,  and  many  other  insurmountable  difficulties  that  were 
crushing  the  life  out  of  the  people,  the  controlling  element  of  the  Jews 
refused  to  surrender.  Then  Titus  captured  the  tower  of  Antonia, 
a  stronghold  on  which  the  Jews  greatly  relied  for  safety.  The  Jews, 
finding  the  tower  in  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  went  in  wild  haste  to 
the  temple,  hoping  to  be  able  to  defend  themselves  within  its  sacred 
precints.  This  hope  soon  proved  fruitless ;  the  Romans  having  gained 
control  of  the  strong  tower,  there  was  nothing  for  the  Jews  to  hope  for 
as  to  their  safety ;  yet,  Titus  was  about  to  move  upon  them,  notwith- 
standing he  held  the  destiny  of  the  people  in  his  own  hand.  He  again 
proposed  terms  of  settlement,  promising  to  spare  them  from  further 
distress  if  they  Avould  agree  to  accept  them.  But  the  blindness  of  the 
poor  suffering  Jews  would  not  permit  them  to  agree  to  anything ;  and 
they  determined  to  defend  the  sacred  edifice  inch  by  inch.  Titus  did 
not  wish  to  injure  the  beautiful  Temple,  so  sacredly  adored  by  the  Jews, 
and  made  memorable  by  religious  associations  for  many  hundred 
years,  but  without  the  knowledge  of  the  general,  and  contrary  to  his 
wishes,  a  private  soldier  threw  .a  firebrand  into  some  inflammable 
material  from  a  window,  and  set  the  sacred  edifice  ablaze,  and  in  a 
short  while  the  whole  structure  was  burning.  Such  was  the  brilliancy 
of  the  flames,  the  whole  country  round  about  was  illuminated.  This 
was  done  some  time  during  the  night  while  Titus  was  adeep  in  his  tent; 
he  was  suddenly  awakened  by  the  wild  shrieks  of  horror  from  the 
Jews,  who  were  vainly  endeavoring  to  save  the  building  from  destruc- 
tion. This  demonstration  of  sorrow  was  heart-rendmg,  so  that  the 
lion-hearted  Titus  could  not  look  upon  it  without  being  touched  with 
sjanpathy  for  the  panic-stricken  Jews.  The  general  rushed  from  his 
quarters  and  beheld  the  appalling  conflagration,  which,  with  the  com- 
bined efforts  of  the  Jews  and  Romans  could  not  be  controlled.  The 
crackling  of  falling  timber,  the  roar  of  the  flames,  the  mournful  cries 
of  Jewish  indignation,  the  thunder  of  the  shouts  of  the  victors,  and  the 


EVENTS  IN   AND    ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  185 

priests,  insane  with  madness,  throwing  gilded  spikes  down  from  the 
building  aimlessly  at  the  enemy,  Avhile  under  the  influence  of  over- 
whelming grief,  all  added  to  the  great  sound,  that  made  the  very  hills 
about  Jerusalem  shake  and  echo  the  tidings  to  the  distant  regions. 

When  the  wild  flames  had  finished  their  work  of  destruction,  all  that 
was  beautiful  of  the  sanctuary  was  in  ashes,  and  Mt.  Moriah  was  robbed 
of  her  precious  monument,  and  the  Jews  of  their  renowned  place  ot 
sacred  worship.  The  precious  Temple  of  religious  devotion,  towards 
which  the  hearts  of  thousands  were  turned  annually,  was  destroyed. 
It  would  be  supposed  that  the  Jews  would  have  accepted  the  situation, 
and  surrendered  immediately  to  the  Roman  sceptre  without  further 
resistance  ;  but,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  they  would  not  yield,  for  they 
were  unshaken  in  their  faith  that  the  Messiah,  whom  they  so  prayer- 
fully hoped  for,  would  come  even  in  those  extreme  moments  of  sufier- 
ing  and  deliver  them ;  and  when  there  was  not  a  fragment  of  assur- 
ance of  sunshine  left  them,  that  prompted  them  to  hope  for  victory, 
they  still  clung  to  the  vain  belief  that  a  deliverer  would  come.  They 
retired  to  Mt.  Zion,  the  strong  citadel,  and  made  another  attempt  to 
vanquish  the  foe ;  here,  again,  Titus,  still  sympathizing  with  them  in 
their  blind  and  fruitless  attempt  for  victory,  oSered  them  terms  of 
peace,  but  the  blind,  fanatic  Jews  would  consent  to  nothing.  With  the 
destruction  of  the  Temple,  Josephus  informs  us  that  six  thousand 
unarmed  people,  including  women  and  children,  perished,  who  had 
been  led  into  it  by  a  false  prophet,  who  made  them  confident  their 
expected  deliverer  would  come  to  their  help.  From  the  fact  of  their 
disappointment  and  false  representation  having  reached  the  ears  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Jews,  it  would  seem  that  they  would  have  abandoned  all 
hope  of  deliverance  at  a  time  so  j)regnant  with  .calamity  and  death. 
But  they  stubbornly  insisted  on  victory,  and  would  yield  to  no  terms 
proposed  ;  then  Titus  renewed  the  siege  with  the  intention  of  making 
a  final  close  of  the  piece-meal  war  he  had  been  engaged  in  so  long. 
At  length  prominent  evidences  of  weakness  had  seized  the  few  remain- 
ing JcAvs,  and  their  defense  was  less  than  a  breakfast  spell  to  the 
Romans,  who  soon  became  undisputed  possessors  of  all  that  was  left  of 
the  once  beautiful  and  renowned  city  of  Jerusalem.  Then  the  Roman 
soldiers  were  like  wild  beasts  just  from  the  forest,  who  renewed  their 
barbarous  work  in  every  way  that  seemed  pleasurable  to  them.  Men, 
women  and  children  Avere  slaughtered  without  mercy,  and,  according 
to  Josephus,  about  ninety-seven  thousand  were  captured  and  made 
slaves ;  and  the  number  of  those  who  lost  their  lives  during  the  siege 
is  estimated  to   be  eleven  hundred  thousand.    ThenTitus,  to  make  a 


136  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

finish  of  the  work  of  destruction,  ordered  the  demolition  of  the  whole  city, 
except  three  towers  and  the  western  wall.  The  Romans,  having  accom- 
plished the  complete  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  returned  to  Rome, 
were  received  with  wild  enthusiasm  ;  and  Titus,  the  victorious  general, 
was  honored  with  a  triumphal  arch,  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  the 
great  victory  he  had  won.  He  was  seated  in  a  triumphal  car,  drawn 
by  eight  white  horses,  and  driven  through  the  arch,  having  a  number 
of  the  captive  slaves  chained  to  his  chariot,  walking  with  bowed  heads. 
This  time-worn  structure  is  still  standing  in  the  city  of  Rome,  known 
as  the  "  TriumjDhal  Arch  of  Titus."  While  in  the  old  historic  city,  I 
visited  this  arch  and  passed  under  it.  Judging  from  its  present  appear- 
ance, it  must  have  been  a  very  gorgeous  and  costly  structure.  It  is 
situated  between  the  Capitol  buildings  and  the  old,  dilapidated  Coli- 
seum. Titus  did  not  only  return  to  Rome  with  a  large  number  of  cap- 
tive Jews,  but  a  vast  treasure  of  rich  and  precious  spoils,  comprising 
a  number  of  the  temple  furnishings,  such  as  the  golden  table,  the  golden 
candlesticks,  and  many  other  costly  jewels  used  in  the  sanctuary. 

The  golden  table,  and  the  golden  candlesticks,  having  seven  arms, 
and  the  silver  trumpets,  were  distinctly  sculptured  in  the  walls  of  the 
Triumphial  Arch  at  Rome,  and  are  clearly  seen  up  to  the  present  time ; 
also,  many  other  trophies  are  represented  upon  it. 

DAVID'S  TOMB. 

There  are  many  antique  tombs  near  Jerusalem.  We  have  already 
referred  to  those  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  and  in  and  about  the  Pot- 
ter's Field,  and  other  places ;  we  shall  now  briefly  refer  to  a  few  others 
of  the  vast  number  that  nearly  surround  the  city.  Jerusalem  is  really 
environed  with  tombs ;  they  are  to  be  seen  on  every  hill  and  in  the 
valley  around  it,  so  that  it  is  computed  that  there  are  more  tombs 
about  the  city  than  there  are  houses  in  it  for  the  living.  On  Mount 
Zion  is  the  resting  place  of  King  David  and  his  successor,  Solomon, 
and  several  others  ;  also,  some  of  the  members  of  their  families.  The 
tomb,  generally  believed  to  be  David's,  is  outside  the  walls  on  the 
southern  slope  of  Mount  Zion.  It  has  been  the  united  opinion  of  Jews, 
Christians  and  Moslems,  for  nearly  seven  hundred  years,  that  this  is 
none  other  than  the  burial  place  of  King  David,  and  a  number  of  his 
successors.  The  Jews  manifest  their  special  regard  for  the  tomb  ;  when 
they  approach  it,  they  present  a  sad  and  reverential  expression  of 
countenance,  indicative  of  their  superior  love  and  esteem  for  their 
ancient  dead.  Josephus  says,  the  tomb  was  opened  by  Hrycanus,  from 
which  he  took  three  thousand  talents ;  and  that  Herod  the  Great  also 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  137 

attempted  to  plunder  the  tomb,  but  found,  to  his  discomfiture,  it  had 
been  previously  opened  and  spoiled  of  its  treasure.  It  is  a  solemnly 
strange-looking  place,  and  all  who  visit  its  curiously  arranged  interior, 
naturally  feel  an  unusual  impression  of  graveness,  that  restrains  them 
from  indulgence  in  mirth.  There  have  been  attempts  made  by  some 
investigators  to  locate  the  tomb  of  David,  and  those  buried  with  him, 
at  another  place  than  the  "  City  of  David,"  now  known  as  Mount  Zion, 
but  they  have  failed.  This  site  has  not  only  a  long-standing  tradition, 
and  the  united  opinion  of  the  Jews,  Christians  and  Moslems  in  its  favor, 
but  the  Bible  also  locates  the  area,  at  least,  in  which  it  is.  It  is 
expressly  stated  in  First  Kings  concerning  some  of  the  successors  of 
David  to  the  throne  of  Judah,  "  They  slept  with  their  fathers,  and 
were  buried  in  the  city  of  David."  Now,  what  plausible  reason  can 
any  one  give  why  the  locality  known  to  the  ancients,  to  the  Apostles 
and  others,  should  be  changed  to  some  other  place  in  the  latter  times  ? 
Surely  no  mischievous  resurrectionist  has  gone  there  in  the  death- 
stillness  of  the  midnight  and  removed  those  dusty  remains  to  one  of 
the  adjacent  hills,  in  order  that  they  might  baffle  all  attempts  to 
identify  it.  Men  should  learn  the  fact,  that  greatness  does  not  come 
to  us  by  tearing  down  one  man's  work  to  build  up  another,  but  great- 
ness is  brought  to  us  by  an  earnest  endeavor  to  establish  the  truth.  It 
is  hoped  an  opportunity  will  be  given,  in  the  near  future,  to  make  all 
the  needed  investigations,  which  will  be  the  means  of  ending  the  many 
unpleasant  disputes  concerning  the  locality  of  many  places  now  in 
doubt.  But  the  Holy  Scriptures  must  have  precedence,  and  in  them 
we  are  told  in  unmistakable  words  that  kings  David,  Solomon,  and 
their  successors,  were  laid  to  rest  on  Mount  Zion ;  and  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt  as  to  the  place  above  named  being  identical  with  the 
tombs  of  the  kings  of  Judah.  The  current  opinion  in  Jerusalem  among 
the  Jews  and  Mohammedans  is,  that  this  building,  with  a  few  others, 
escaped  interference  when  Titus  pillaged  and  sacked  the  city ;  and 
they,  say  the  earliest  travelers  there,  found  it  identical  with  the  "  Last 
Supper."  We  would  be  understood  that  no  attempt  is  made  by  the 
author  to  condemn  the  tradition  as  to  the  site, — it  may  be  that  upon 
which  the  house  stood  where  our  Lord  took  the  passover  with  His  dis- 
ciples ;  but  we  are  strongly  inclined  to  doubt  that  the  present  building 
is  the  same  that  stood  there  in  the  time  of  that  immortal  event. 

We  entered  and  passed  through  this  building,  and  were  deeply  im- 
pressed with  its  history;  thinking  that,  if  beneath  the  cenotaph  in 
these  rocky  excavations  the  remains  of  Kings  David,  Solomon,  and 
others  were  laid  to  rest,  and  if  their  dust  has  remained  undisturbed 


138  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

until  this  day,  how  royal  is  the  place  upon  which  my  feet  stand,  and 
my  eyes  are  beholding !  Although  the  illustrious  dead,  whom  tradition 
informs  us  sleep  in  this  stupendous  Sepulchre,  were  but  mortal,  filled 
with  all  the  defects  of  humanity,  yet  one  feels  like  stepping  lightly 
while  passing  through  the  building  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  some 
of  the  most  illustrious  kings  of  Judah,  who,  like  the  humble  of  the 
Potter's  field,  and  the  j^oor  outcasts  around  the  city,  upon  the  hills  and 
in  the  valleys,  whose  graves  and  names  are  not  known,  are  awaiting 
the  voice  of  the  archangel's  trump  to  call  them  forth.  Then 
we  passed  into  the  adjoining  room,  where  it  is  said  the  "  passover " 
was  celebrated  by  our  Lord  and  His  disciples,  and  is  also  said  to  be 
connected  with  the  event  of  the  "  Day  of  Pentecost,"  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  came  powerfully  upon  the  messengers  of  Jesus.  The  Coenacu- 
lum  is  connected  with  the  tomb,  both  sites  being  enclosed  by  the  same 
building  ;  the  latter  is  on  account  of  the  use  made  of  it.  The  "  Mosque 
of  Neby  Da'ud"  also  stands  on  the  southern  slope  of  Mt.  Zion,  and  has 
a  very  presentable  minaret.  There  is  an  ancient-looking  room  on  the 
left  of  the  high  steps,  known  traditionally,  as  the  identical  chamber  in 
which  our  Lord  ate  the  passover  with  His  disciples,  on  the  night  He 
exposed  the  secret  intention  of  Judas  Iscariot.  This  place  has  pro- 
voked much  discussion  ;  and  we  think  not  without  proper  reasons,  for 
it  would  seem  doubtful  that  this  old  building  should  be  left  undemol- 
ished  on  the  brow  of  Zion  through  the  many  bitter  struggles  this  his- 
toric hill  has  passed.  It  does  not  seem  probable,  that  after  the  great 
slaughters  and  demolitions,  caused  by  the  many  foreign  powers  in 
whose  hands  it  fell  from  time  to  time,  that  this  building  would  be  left 
as  a  souvenir  of  antiquity.  The  traditions  identifying  this  place  with 
the  scene  of  the  "  Last  Supper  "  originated  in  the  fourth  century ;  it 
was  then  brought  into  prominent  mention  by  Cyril,  Bishop  of  Jerusa- 
lem, Under  the  upjier  chamber  is  a  crypt  or  lower  room;  this  is 
divided  into  two  apartments,  one  of  these  is  said  to  be  the  room  in 
which  our  Lord  washed  His  diciples'  feet.  This  custom  is  still  con- 
tinued by  the  Monks  of  the  Latin  Church,  who  wash  the  feet  of 
pilgrims,  Mondays  and  Thursdays,  in  commemoration  of  the  example 
of  Jesus.  The  chamber  is  forty-five  feet  long,  and  twenty-nine  feet 
wide,  having  two  aisles  divided  by  columns.  Over  the  western  j)illar 
of  this  department  is  seen  the  cenotaph ;  over  the  one  below  this  is 
said  to  be  the  tomb  of  David. 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JEEUSALEM.  139 

OTHER  TOMBS. 

The  tombs  compassing  the  city  round  about  are  only  known  as  such  ; 
for  the  most  part,  those  of  the  most  illustrious  dead,  with  few  excep- 
tions, are  unidentified.  Several  that  have  been  settled  upon  by  a  few 
investigators  are  strongly  doubted  by  others.  Those  that  have  been 
generally  settled  upon  as  correctly  identified  arethetoml)s  of  St.  James 
and  Zacharias.  That  known  as  Jehoshaphat,  now  nearly  covered  with 
rubbish,  the  result  of  many  years'  accumulation,  is  not  properly 
identified.  This  tomb  is  a  little  to  the  northeast  of  Absalom's  Shaft, 
and  from  what  has  been  agreed  upon  by  repeated  investigations,  the 
first  chamber  must  have  been  used  in  former  times  as  a  Christian 
church,  a  custom  very  common  in  crusade  times.  Those  devotees  of 
the  Christian  religion  made  it  a  regular  practice  to  convert  tombs,  cas- 
tles and  heathen  temples  into  churches.  Many  of  them  bear  strong 
indications  of  their  religious  services.  About  the  middle  of  this  cen- 
tury an  odd  old  manuscript  roll  was  found  in  the  so-called  tomb  of 
Jehoshaphat,  containing  the  Pentateuch.  It  Avas  discovered  by  one  of 
the  members  of  the  Armenian  Church.  This  caused  much  excitement 
among  many  of  the  Jews,  for  they  concluded  that  the  tomb  was  that 
of  one  of  the  rabbis  instead  of  Jehoshaphat — and  have  from  that  day 
to  this  sternly  protested  against  any  one  entering  its  interior — which 
may  be  true,  for  the  Bible  says  Jehoshaphat  was  buried  on  Mt.  Zion. 
The  tombs  of  St.  James  and  Zacharias  are  a  little  to  the  south  of  the 
two  last  mentioned.  As  to  the  identity  of  these  tombs  there  seems  to 
be  but  little  doubt,  even  with  those  who  have  been  critically  doubtful 
as  to  the  true  site  of  many  places  in  Palestine,  that  others  have  settled 
upon  without  a  scruj^le.  The  tomb  of  St.  James  is  opposite  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  or  the  Temple  plateau,  at  an  angle,  where,  it  is  said, 
the  apostle  was  thrown  headlong  into  the  Kedrou  valley  below,  and 
was  killed.  The  best  place  to  see  the  great  depth  of  his  fall  is  in  the 
area  opposite  the  tomb.  Here,  it  is  thought,  the  wickedly  insane  mob 
hurled  the  man  of  God  into  the  jaws  of  death.  The  tomb  of  Zach- 
arias is  not  really  settled  as  to  which  of  the  two  it  belongs.  The  Jews 
claim  it  is  ^that  of  Zachariah,  son  of  Jehoiada,  who  was  stoned  in  the 
reign  of  Joash,  and  the  Christians  maintain  it  is  the  tomb  of  Zach- 
arias, the  son  of  Barachias,  who  was  slain  between  the  sanctuary  and 
the  altar.  The  opinions  of  these  two  religious  sects  being  so  materially 
divided,  leave  the  identity  of  these  tombs  in  a  state  of  uncertainty,  but 
it  is  the  general  opinion  among  Christians  that  they  are  correctly 
located.     Over  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  are  the  tradi- 


140  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

tional  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  are  different  in  style  from  any  others 
seen  about  the  hills  and  valleys  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  some,  who  have  made  examinations  there,  they  are  natural 
caves,  artificially  extended  and  so  arranged  for  tombs,  but  not  wholly 
finished.  To  descend,  one  must  pass  through  a  low  ledge  into  a  round 
chamber,  in  which  are  remnants  of  Greek  and  Hebrew  inscriptions. 
These  impress  many  that  the  tombs  ai'e  of  Jewish  origin.  But,  since 
they  have  stopped  burying  there,  these  chambers  have  been  used  by 
Christians,  most  likely  by  the  crusaders,  as  they  commonly  made  use  of 
ancient  tombs  to  hold  religious  meetings  in,  and  for  other  sacred 
purposes.  One  of  the  strongest  indications  of  their  having  been  used 
by  Christians  is  the  emblem  of  the  cross  over  some  of  the  niches  on 
the  walls ;  and  as  the  cross  is  a  sign  of  faith  in  Christ,  it  is  evident 
they  were  cut  into  the  walls  subsequent  to  the  period  the  Jews  had 
them  in  charge,  by  those  whose  faith  was  fixed  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  is, 
however,  doubted  by  many  who  have  carefully  examined  these  tombs, 
that  they  are  those  of  the  prophets.  There  is  another  ancient  burial 
place  north  of  Jerusalem,  about  a  mile,  and  close  to  the  old  rugged 
and  difficult  road  leading  to  Mizpeh  ;  in  this  ancient  rock-hewn  cem- 
etery are  many  sepulchres,  all  of  which  bear  prominent  marks  of  an- 
tiquity. They  are  called  "Tombs  of  the  Judges "  by  Christians,  but 
the  Jews  say  they  are  those  of  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim. 

There  is  much  confidence  placed  in  the  knowledge  the  Jews  have 
of  the  correct  location  .of  the  places  in  which  they  are  interested  in 
and  about  Jerusalem,  inasmuch  as  their  knowledge  of  them  is  likely 
to  be  more  extensive  and  reliable  in  cases  where  tradition  is  the  only 
source  of  information.  These  tombs  are  situated  in  a  very  rocky  district, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  exercise  great  caution  in  traveling  over  the  road ; 
for  if  the  horse  or  donkey  should  fall,  the  rider  would  doubtless  sustain 
fatal  injuries.  Those  who  intend  entering  the  tombs  must  take  candles 
and  matches,  as  it  is  very  dark  in  them,  and  many  are  from  two  to 
three  stories  deep,  in  each  of  which  there  are  niches  hewn  out  for 
burial  purposes.  There  are  dangerous  excavations  or  under-chambers 
into  which  persons  would  fall,  unless  they  could  see  their  way  from  one 
apartment  to  another.  There  are  in  all,  over  seventy  of  these  recep- 
tacles for  the  dead,  in  this  lonely,  rocky  district.  The  entrance  to  these 
tombs  faces  the  west,  with  an  open  vestibule  about  thirteen  feet  by 
nine,  and  a  door  opening  into  the  main  chamber  is  cut  through  the 
back  of  this  passage.  The  interior  is  arranged  as  follows,  which  is  a 
true  description  drawn  from  careful  investigations :  The  main  cham- 
ber is  twenty  feet  long,  nineteen  feet  wide,  and  eight  feet  high.    In  the 


EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JERUSALEM.  141 

middle  of  the  southern  wall  of  this  room  is  a  door  by  which  entrance 
is  gained  into  another  room  eight  feet  square  ;  in  the  eastern  wall  of 
the  main  chamber  is  another  door,  opening  into  a  small  room,  dark 
and  lonely.  Then,  to  the  northeast  of  the  largest  chamber,  is  a  stair- 
way leading  down  into  two  vaults.  It  is  only  necessary  to  enter  one 
of  the  many  tombs  in  this  locality,  as  we  were  informed  that  the  interior 
arrangements  were  the  same  in  each.  But  the  most  marvelous  of  these 
tombs,  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem,  are  what  are  commonly  known  as 
the  "  Tombs  of  the  Kings."  The  Arabs  call  them  Kabur  es-Salatan, 
"The  Tombs  of  the  Sultans."  Late  investigators  have  changed  the 
opinion  of  many  with  regard  to  them,  and  it  is  now  believed,  that  they 
are  the  resting  place  of  Helena,  queen  of  Adiabene.  There  is  a  broad  flight 
of  well-worn  steps  leading  down  to  two  very  large  cisterns,  which  are 
hewn  out  in  the  rock ;  then  a  door  oj^ens  into  a  large  court,  also  rock- 
hewn,  at  the  mouth  of  which  is  a  rock-hewn  passage  leading  to  the 
tombs.  At  the  door  of  the  tombs  was  a  mammoth  stone,  which  is 
rolled  aside.  The  opening  is  very  small,  and  an  adult  must  kneel  and 
crawl  through.  The  interior  is  spacious,  containing  many  chambers, 
one  above  the  other,  and  from  two  to  three  stories  deep. 

THE  FUTURE  OF  THE  JEWS. 

The  overwhelming  power  of  Rome  did  not  only  conquer  the  Jews, 
sack  their  city,  cany  away  the  Temple  furnishings,  and  lead  thousands 
into  captivity,  but  dispersed  the  people,  broke  up  the  nation,  and 
banished  even  the  remnant  from  their  land,  and  issued  edicts  expressly 
forbidding  them  to  return  to  their  own  country,  especially  to  Jerusa- 
lem. Therefore  the  Jews,  a  people  for  a  time  happy  and  prosperous,  as 
if  nursed  with  the  milk  of  divine  love,  and  protected  by  an  all-powerful 
hand,  became  scattered  among  nations  and  tribes  throughout  the 
world  ;  wandering  like  sheep  having  no  shepherd.  Their  own  hands 
threw  to  the  ground  the  sceptre  of  power  (it  may  be  said),  and  their 
feet  trampled  it  into  the  dust.  But  the  hand  that  so  triumphantly  led 
them  from  bondage  and  sorrows,  is  now  turned  against  this  wonder- 
fully strange  j^eople.  It  was  their  own  hand  that  destroyed  them,  and 
it  is  their  hand  that  keeps  their  land  subordinate  to  foreign  powers. 
But  they  have  a  hopeful  future ;  the  time  is  coming  when  they  will 
fully  accept  Christ,  whom  their  fathers  nailed  to  the  cross,  and  reverently 
come  before  Him  in  devout  worship,  return  to  their  own  land,  and 
pay  Him  their  tribute  on  the  very  summit  where  the  pathetic 
prayer  was  oSered  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  their  behalf,  while  the 
arrows  of  death  were  piercing  His  soul,  "  Father,  forgive  them,  they 


142  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

know  not  what  they  do."  They  will  return  home  from  Syria  and 
Turkey,  from  Poland  and  Russia,  from  Germany  and  Holland,  from 
China  and  Japan,  from  Australia  and  America,  and  from  all  the  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  from  Africa  and  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Then  Avill 
the  poor  weeping  Jews,  who  stand  along  the  wall  of  the  Haram  every 
Friday  afternoon,  mourning  the  loss  of  the  pride  of  their  love,  turn 
their  wailings  into  shouts  of  praise  to  the  God  of  their  fathers, 
whose  Son,  they  had  so  greatly  rejected,  made  it  possible  for  them  to 
return  and  sing  His  praise  and  taste  His  love  on  the  "  Holy  Hill  of 
Zion."  The  Jews  seem  to  be  preserved  by  an  extraordinary  providence, 
such  as  allows  them  to  mingle  with  the  whole  world  and  maintain  their 
distinct  racial  representation  almost  completely ;  so  that  they  are 
looked  upon,  in  whatever  land  they  may  be  dispersed,  as  separate  and 
distinct  from  all  others.  There  are  cases  of  intermarriages  among 
them,  but  are  very  few  when  compared  with  other  races;  they  are 
scarcely  noticeable.  This  special  care  the  Jews  take  in  preserving 
their  descendants  unmixed,  is  unlike  the  tendency  of  all  other  races  of 
men.  Observations  show  beyond  all  doubt,  the  tendency  is,  to  unite 
in  marriage  with  the  people  in  whatever  land  man's  lot  is  cast ;  that  is 
when  people  migrate  from  their  own  country  to  another.  They 
generally  take  to  themselves  a  wife  or  husband  from  among  the  people 
with  Avhom  they  have  settled.  This  will  be  found  to  be  true  of  all 
people,  of  all  complexions,  races  and  types.  I  do  not  believe  there  is 
a  country  in  our  world,  where  different  races  are  permanently  settled, 
that  this  rule  does  not  obtain.  Even  in  Africa,  where  Caucasians 
settle  permanently,  they  make  no  hesitancy  in  choosing  one  of  the 
native  females  for  a  life  companion.  But  the  Jews,  wherever  fovmd,  are 
clinging  to  each  other  in  marriage  relations,  so  that  they  may  preserve 
themselves  unmixed  with  other  race-types.  The  law,  forbidding  their 
ancestors  to  intermarry,  is  still  in  full  force.  It  seems  as  though  the 
Jews  are  being  preserved  as  a  distinct  people  for  their  restoration,  and 
the  inheritance  of  their  own  land  as  a  nation.  If  we  have  noticed  the 
predictions  concerning  the  future  of  this  people,  we  cannot  be  other- 
wise than  inclined  to  the  opinion,  that  a  restoration  of  the  Jews  will 
take  place ;  and  this  seems  to  be  the  general  belief  throughout  Chris- 
tendom. Christians  are  loohing  forward  to  the  time,  which  to  them 
will  be  a  glorious  event,  both  to  the  Jews  and  Gentiles.  The 
time  is  now  nearing  the  horizon,  when  the  blindness  of  the 
people  shall  pass  away  forever,  and  the  true  light  shall  shine  upon 
them.  It  is  written,  "  Blindness  is  happened  to  Israel  in  part  until  the 
fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  brought  in  ;  then  all  Israel  shall  be  saved." 


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EVENTS  IN  AND  ABOUT  JEEUSALEM.  143 

It  is  also  inferable  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  the  conversion  of 
the  Jews  is  a  matter  in  which  the  whole  Christian  world  will  be  inter- 
ested, and  by  which  all  people  shall  be  blessed.  There  are  visible 
manifestations  even  now  of  the  fulfillment  of  this  blessed  event ;  for 
many  Jews  have  turned  from  their  Judaism  and  embraced  Christ  in 
this  and  other  lands  ;  and  as  has  been  stated  there  is  now  a  flourishing 
church  on  Mt.  Zion,  in  Jerusalem,  that  is  doing  much  towards  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews  to  Christianity.  Therefore,  when  the  time  fully 
comes  for  the  return  of  this  dispersed  people,  their  relations  will  be 
harmonious ;  those  who  return  from  other  lands,  will  have  acknow- 
ledged Christ  before  starting  home,  and  those  whom  they  greet  on  their 
arrival,  will  not  be  strangers  to  Him  ;  so  that  there  will  be  a  union  of 
heads  and  hearts,  and  Jesus  "will  be  all  in  all."  What  a  glorious 
time,  what  a  blessed  period  when  the  people,  once  dispersed  and 
unsettled,  shall  again  ''  sing  the  Lord's  song  "  in  their  own  land  !  Then 
will  the  returning  hosts  set  up  a  standard  on  Mt.  Zion,  with  the  motto 
stamped  thereon,  "  This  God  is  our  God  forever  and  ever ;  and  will  be 
our  guide  even  until  death." 


PAET  YII. 

ANCIENT  HEBRON. 

The  Highway  of  Hebron  and  its  Loneliness — General  Description  of  the 
Country — Condition  of  the  Land  of  Hebron — Tombs  at  Beth-Zur  —The  High- 
way to  Hebron — Sad  Reflections — Beth-Zur — Pleasant  Reflections — Antiquity 
of  Hebron — Inhabitants  of  Hebron — Different  Names  given  to  Hebron — Roads 
Leading  to  Hebron — Vineyards  of  Hebron — Watchtowers  and  Watchmen — 
Historic  Pools — The  Event  Concerning  Rechab  and  Baanah — Places  of  Inter- 
est to  Tourists — Inhabitants  of  Hebron — Description  of  Streets — The  Situation 
of  Hebron — Feeling  of  the  Inhabitants  to  Visitors — Meaning  of  the 
Word  Plebron — The  Author's  Experience  Concerning  His  Visit — Descrip- 
tion of  Ramah — Oak  of  Mamre— Ancient  Hebron — Accommodations  for 
Christians — Facts  Connected  with  Hebron — Patriarchial  Associations — 
Hebron  as  a  Burial  Place — Historical  Associations  of  Hebron — Joseph's 
Mournful  Return — Historical  Association — Jacob's  Burial — The  Mosque 
Machpelah — The  Love  of  the  Mohammedans  for  the  Tomb — Treatment  of 
Visitors  who  visit  them — Description  of  the  Mosque  by  the  Prince  of  Wales — 
The  Entrance  to  the  Mosque — Description  of  the  Shrine  of  Abraham  and 
Sarah — Shrines  of  Jacob  and  Leah — Shrine  of  Joseph — Description  of  the 
Shrine  of  Joseph — Historical  Association  of  Hebron — Value  of  the  Investi- 
gation made  by  the  Prince  of  W'ales — Desirable  Situation  and  General 
Condition  of  the  Land  of  Canaan — Ancient  Inhabitants  of  Hebron — A  great 
Refuge  City — The  Custom  of  Blood  Revenge — Cities  of  Refuge  in  which 
there  were  Judges — Names  of  Cities — Hebron  the  first  Capital  during  David's 
Reign — Installation  of  David  as  King— Hebron  as  Headquarters  of  a  Latin 
Bishopric — Possessed  by  the  Moslems — Jews'  connection  with  Hebron — Treat- 
ment of  the  Author  by  Inhabitants— The  Dominant  Inhabitants  of  Hebiou. 

THE  HIGHWAY  TO  HEBRON  AND  ITS  LONELINESS. 

THE  road  from  Solomon's  pools  to  Hebron  is  in  s]Dlendicl  condition, 
and  is  regarded  as  the  best  and  most  carefidly  kept  road  in  Palestine. 
Those  who"  have  been  traveling  over  those  very  rough  and  fatiguing 
passes  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  almost  imagine  themselves  in 
a  country  where  the  blessings  of  higher  civilization  and  progress  are 
enjoyed ;  for  no  one  but  those  who  have  had  the  experience,  can  imagine 
how  rough  and  difficult  the  roads  are  throughout  the  land,  with  a  very 
few  exceptions.  There  is  but  little  of  interest  to  be  seen  on  the  way 
to  Hebron,  except  a  few  ancient  ruins.  These  would  no  doubt  be  of 
144 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  145 

much  importance  if  they  could  be  positively  identified ;  but  all  that 
was  known  of  them  is  buried  in  the  silent  past.  The  whole  face  of  the 
country  for  miles  around  is  wild,  barren,  and  very  rocky ;  so  that  one 
must  travel  for  about  three  weary  houi-s  without  seeing  anything  of 
importance  to  attract  attention,  unless,  perchance,  something  should 
occur  woi'thy  of  note  among  the  shepherds  and  merchants  who  are 
daily  on  the  road,  with  flocks  and  caravans.  It  so  happens,  at  times, 
that  amusing  incidents  occur  among  them,  which  relieve  travelers  of 
the  quiet  and  loneliness  of  their  journey. 

The  vast  tract  of  country  on  either  side  of  the  highway,  which, 
from  its  present  appearance,  would  impress  one  that  it  has  always  been 
barren  and  worthless,  produced  abundantly  in  those  early  times,  when 
the  children  of  Israel  occupied  the  country.  But  now,  those  fields  in 
which  sounded  the  busy  hoe,  the  plow,  and  other  implements  of  hus- 
bandry, nothing  is  seen  but  desolation,  except  here  and  there  a  small 
patch  of  vegetation  is  under  cultivation.  A  few  weather-beaten,  shaggy 
oaks  are  standing,  to  indicate  the  possibilities  of  the  country  if  proper 
care  were  taken  of  it.  When  the  children  of  Israel  received  their 
apportionments  this  tract  composed  a  part  of  the  allotment  of  Judah ; 
it  was  under  good  cultivation  and  highly  productive,  but  in  latter  times 
nearly  the  whole  region  was  untilled,  and  is  naught  but  a  dreary  wilder- 
ness. As  Hebron  is  approached  more  signs  of  life  become  prominent,  a  few 
dwellings  stand  along  the  way,  and  much  of  the  land  is  under  cultiva- 
tion, with  vineyards  and  fig  orchards  and  other  salable  products  ;  the 
ever-alert  husbandman  may  be  seen  from  early  morn  until  nightfall 
toiling  hopefully.  There  are  several  rock-cut  tombs  exposed  to  view 
along  the  roadside,  especially  at  Beth-Zur.  It  is  without  doubt  a  sad 
reflection  to  a  Christian,  traveling  along  this  frequented  road,  so  prom- 
inent in  the  long  gone-by  days,  because  of  its  important  events,  to  be 
compelled  to  pass  them  without  having  the  least  inkling  of  the  places 
around  which  they  centre.  It  is  to  be  hoped  the  near  future  will  bring 
to  light  many  places  and  things  that  are  at  present  obscure,  or  in  great 
doubt.  But  it  is  a  gratification  to  know,  as  we  pass  along  the  highway 
towards  the  city  and  home  of  the  "  Father  of  the  Faithful,"  several 
places  are  seen  that  have  been  generally  settled  upon  as  identical  with 
the  names  they  bear.  These  are  Beth-Zur-Maarath,  Halhul  and 
Kamah.  It  is  noteworthy  that  Beth-Zur  was  at  one  time  an  important 
place,  and  one  of  the  towns  of  Judah  in  the  time  of  the  allotments  to 
the  tribes  ;  its  inhabitants  came  up  to  Jerusalem  to  assist  Nehemiah 
to  rebuild  the  walls,  and  it  became  one  of  the  frontier  towns  in  the 
time  of  the  Maccabees.  (Neh.  iii.  16  ;  Josh.  xv.  58.) 
10 


146  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


PLEASANT  EEFLECTONS. 


But  notwithstanding  the  journey  from  Jerusalem  to  Hebron  is 
through  a  wild  and  monotonous  district,  where  savage-looking  Arabs, 
with  their  sheep,  goats,  camels  and  donkeys  are  almost  constantly  trav- 
eling, yet  it  is  cheering  to  know  we  are  en  route  to  one  of  the  sacred 
cities  of  Palestine,  and  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  historical  cities 
known  to  the  world.  It  is  also  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  know  we 
are  traveling  the  same  route  over  which  many  patriarchs,  priests  and 
Levites  used  to  pass  to  and  from  Hebron  on  ofBcial  business,  and  thou- 
sands of  the  most  pious  Israelites  pressed  the  soil  on  their  way  to  the 
Temple  to  celebrate  the  annual  passover.  This  is  the  route  Abraham 
traveled  when  on  his  sacred  mission,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
the  Lord  to  sacrifice  Isaac,  his  beloved  son,  on  Mt.  Moriah  ;  and  when 
King  David,  the  victorious  warrior,  sent  his  brave  army  against  the 
Jebusites,  who  occupied  the  stronghold  on  Mt.  Jebus,  they  came  this 
same  way.  It  is  also  the  same  route  little  Joseph  took  when  in  com- 
pliance with  his  father's  request,  he  went  to  see  how  his  brethren  fared 
at  Dothan ;  and  when  the  multitudes  of  rejoicing  Israelites  had  won 
the  victory  over  the  Jebusites  they  passed  up  this  Avay,  shouting  praises 
to  the  king,  whose  conquering  arm  had  won  the  day.  It  is  also  believed 
that  Joseph,  when  he,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  the  angel,  took 
the  infant  Jesus  and  His  mother  into  Egypt  to  escape  the  vengeance 
of  King  Herod,  came  down  this  route.  So  that  not  Hebron  only,  but 
almost  every  foot  of  the  ground  from  Bethlehem  to  Hebron,  is  sacredly 
memorable  to  the  Bible  student  and  to  Christendom. 

HEBRON— ITS  ANTIQUITY. 

Hebron  is  the  oldest  city  in  Palestine,  and  is  considered  to  be  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  world,  and  is  held  in  great  esteem  by  the  Moslems, 
its  principal  inhabitants,  because  of  its  antiquity  and  voluminous  his- 
tory. It  has  a  large  population,  many  of  whom  are  in  a  flourishing 
condition.  Damascus  and  Shechem  are  the  only  cities  west  of  the 
Euphrates  that  are  claiming  an  equal  share  in  its  reverence  because  of 
old  age.  The  first  name  of  Hebron  was  Kir-Jath-Arba,  after  Arba, 
the  father  of  Anak,  the  giant.  The  Bible  speaks  of  it  as  one  of  the 
earliest  cities  known  in  the  world.  Moses,  the  law-giver,  spoke  of  it, 
when  describing  the  route  the  spies  took,  when  sent  to  survey  the 
country,  and  said,  "  Hebron  was  built  seven  years  before  Zoan,  in 
Egypt."  Zoan  or  Tanis  was  the  old  capital  city  of  Egypt,  and  situ- 
ated on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Tanitic  arm  of  the  Nile.     When  Abra- 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  147 

ham  settled  in  Hebron  it  was  called  Mamre  ;  this  name  is  supposed  to 
have  been  given  it  from  that  of  Mamre,  the  Amorite,  who  was  a  close, 
strong  friend  of  Abraham.  It  was  a  walled  city  at  that  tine,  for  we 
are  informed  that  when  Abraham  Avent  up  to  the  city,  to  buy  the  field 
of  Machpelah,  it  was  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  Heth,  "  even  of 
all  that  went  in  at  the  gate  of  the  city."  The  reference  to  a  "  gate  "  is 
indicative  of  a  "  wall."  When  Josephus  wrote  concerning  the  city  it 
was  twenty-three  hundred  years  old.  It  may  be  seen  from  these  facts, 
in  connection  with  the  Bible  references  given  below,  that  the  claims  of 
antiquity  attaching  to  Hebron  are  not  without  strong  evidence  in  its 
favor.  Those  who  travel  from  Egypt  to  Jerusalem,  through  the 
desert,  commonly  pass  through  Hebron  if  they  travel  by  either  of  the 
three  principal  routes.  Should  they  prefer  the  short  desert  road,  they 
generally  cross  over  to  Hebron  from  Gaza ;  if  they  come  by  the  old 
Sinai  thoroughfare,  they  naturally  come  to  the  old  city  from  Beersheba, 
on  the  southwest,  or  from  the  rocky  city  of  Petra,  on  the  southeast. 
(Gen.  xxiii.  10 ;  Joshua,  xv.  13-14:  xx.  1-11;  Xum.  xiii.  22;  Gen. 
XXX.  11-19 ;  xl.  27.) 

HEBRON  AND  ITS  SITUATION. 

This  ancient  city  is  built  upon  a  mountain  slope  running  up  from 
the  Valley  of  Eshcol.  There  are  a  few  buildings  in  the  valley,  but 
the  most  of  them  are  situated  upon  the  hillside  towards  the  summit. 
Those  approaching  Hebron  from  Jerusalem,  do  not  get  an  observation 
of  it  until  they  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  high  hill  over  which  the  main 
road  passes,  at  a  point  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  from  the  site 
of  the  old  entrance  gate.  There  are  an  almost  endless  number  of 
vineyards  in  the  valley,  which  is  now,  as  in  olden  times,  celebrated  for 
its  fine  quality,  and  great  quantity  of  grapes.  In  each  of  these  vine- 
yards the  old-fashioned  wine-press  is  seen,  at  which  several  men  and 
lads  are  busy,  in  the  season,  making  wine.  The  number  employed  at 
wine-making  is  usually  regulated  according  to  the  size  of  the  press. 
There  is  also  a  watch-tower  connected  with  them,  in  which  watchmen 
are  placed  to  look  after  the  safety  of  the  vineyards ;  this  is  a  custom 
that  was  instituted  in  the  prime  daj'S  of  the  Israelites,  and  is  as  neces- 
sary now  as  in  their  times.  The  city  is  not  protected  by  walls  as  in 
former  days,  although  it  has  one  or  two  needless  gates  and  all  persons 
entering  the  city  from  the  north  pass  through  the  gate,  which  is  a  mere 
sham.  There  are  two  pools  in  the  valley  of  very  ancient  date,  encom- 
passed by  walls  composed  of  massive  stones.  These  pools  still  furnish 
the  water  supply  of  the  city.     It  is  currently  believed,  that  one  of 


148  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

these  is  that  at  which  the  event  narrated  concerning  Rechab  and 
Baanah,  sons  of  Rimmon  (an  officer  in  the  army  of  Ish-bosheth)  took 
place.  These  young  men,  in  attempting  to  exalt  themselves  in  the 
estimation  of  David  (who  had  been  only  a  short  while  installed  king), 
did  a  work  that  brought  a  most  severe  penalty  upon  them.  Ish-bosheth, 
the  son  of  Saul,  was  an  indefatigable  rival  for  the  sceptre  of  the  king- 
dom, after  the  death  of  his  father,  and  having  a  large  following  sent  up 
an  army  against  David,  but  was  ingloriously  defeated  ;  then  Rechab 
and  Baanah  slew  Ish-bosheth,  and  brought  his  head  to  Hebron,  sup- 
posing the  young  king  would  highly  commend  them,  and  appoint  them 
to  some  very  honorable  and  exalted  position.  But  when  the  matter 
was  made  known  to  David,  he  said  to  them,  "As  the  Lord  liveth,  who 
hath  redeemed  my  soul  out  of  all  adversity,  when  one  told  me  saying 
Saul  is  dead,  thinking  to  have  brought  good  tidings,  I  took  hold  of 
him  and  slew  him  in  Ziklag,  which  was  the  reward  I  gave  him  for  his 
tidings.  How  much  more  when  wicked  men  have  slain  a  righteous 
person,  in  his  own  house,  upon  his  bed,  shall  I  not  require  his  blood  at 
your  hand,  and  take  you  away  from  the  earth  ?  "  Then  David  caused 
his  young  men  to  slay  them  and  cut  off  their  hands  and  feet  and  hang 
them  up  beside  the  pool  in  Hebron.  Thus  ended  the  existence  of  two 
young  men  who  were  guilty  of  double  dealing.  They  were  captains 
in  the  army  of  Ish-bosheth,  pretending  to  be  at  war  against  David 
and  the  tribe  of  Judah,  whose  loyalty  to  him  held  the  original  king- 
dom intact,  and  at  the  same  time  sought  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
assassinate  the  man  for  whom  they  expressed  willingness  to  sacrifice 
their  lives.  The  coming  of  these  captains  to  the  palace  at  that  hour 
created  no  suspicion,  for  the  reason  it  was  in  accordance  with  a  long 
standing  custom,  which  is  still  observed  in  the  East.  Th^ir  business 
there  was  supposed  to  have  been,  to  get  wheat  for  the  soldiers,  to  dis- 
tribute among  them,  that  it  might  be  sent  to  the  mill  at  the  usual  hour 
next  morning ;  having  a  knowledge  of  the  time  Ish-bosheth  would  be 
taking  his  accustomed  nap,  they  made  it  opportune  to  murder  him. 
They  took  his  head  to  David,  the  rightful  king,  and  the  man  whom 
the  murdered  usurper  had  been  endeavoring  to  destroy.  But  he  could 
not  commend  their  bloody  deed ;  it  was  too  dastardly  for  a  man  of 
honor  to  recognize ;  and  that  a  lesson  might  be  taught  others,  who  might 
be  inclined  to  follow  their  footsteps,  he  made  an  example  of  them 
(2  Sam.  ii.  8-11,  and  iv.  2,  5,  6).  There  is  a  general  agreement  among 
the  best  authors  of  the  land,  that  one  of  these  two  ancient  pools  in 
Hebron  is  identical  with  the  scene  of  the  execution  of  Baanah  and 
Rechab,  the  sons  of  Rimmon,  the  Beerothite,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin. 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  149 

One  of  tlie  most  important  places  to  which  sight-seers  are  taken,  aside 
from  the  ]Mosque  which  marks  the  site  of  the  resting-place  of  Abraham 
and  his  family,  is  the  pool  where  the  punishment  of  these  two  men's 
crimes  was  meted  out  to  them. 

FACTS  OF  INTEREST  TO  TOURISTS. 
The  population  of  Hebron  is  estimated  to  be  about  fifteen  thous- 
and five  hundred ;  of  whom  one  thousand  are  Jews,  and  fourteen 
thousand  five  hundred  are  Molems,  of  the  iron -clad  type,  who  seem 
to  care  for  no  one  but  themselves.  There  are  few  strangers  who  care 
to  remain  there  longer  than  to  visit  the  ancient  sites,  as  the  accom- 
modations both  indoors  and  out  are  extremely  poor.  The  streets  are 
very  dark  generally,  and  especially  so  in  cloudy  weather.  Many  of 
them  are  arched  almost  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  therefore,  it  is 
necessary,  many  times,  to  illuminate  them  from  the  early  morning 
through  the  entire  day.  Several  streets  are  above  the  others,  which 
makes  it  necessary  to  tunnel  those  below,  hence  the  darkness.  The  city 
is  nearly  a  mile  long,  and  extends  across  the  valley  on  the  south  side, 
and  occupies  a  considerable  portion  of  the  western  slope  also.  All  the 
houses  are  substantially  built  of  stone,  which  abounds  in  that  region, 
as  in  the  most  of  Palestine.  It  is  indispensable  for  all  Christian  trav- 
elers to  Hebron  to  employ  a  native  guide  before  venturing  to  enter  the 
city  ;  and  he  Avho  ignores  this  admonition  does  it  at  his  own  peril,  for 
he  is  exposed  to  insults  and  even  violence.  The  Mohammedans  take 
delight,  we  are  informed,  in  imposing  upon  Christians,  and  will  do  so 
when  they  can  trump  up  the  most  frivolous  pretext.  They  proudly  boast 
of  the  fact  that  no  European  has  ever  been  permitted  to  build  a  house  in 
their  ancient  city.  It  is  the  current  belief  that  such  a  step  would  not 
be  allowed  ;  and  if  the}^  could  not  keep  a  Christian  out  by  threats,  they 
would  kill  him.  The  reputation  of  the  inhabitants  does  not  by  any 
means  accord  with  the  name  of  their  city,  which  is  highly  significant. 
Hebron  means  "  Friend."  It  may  apply  to  the  friendship  they  enter- 
tain for  each  other,  but  their  feeling  towards  strangers,  especially 
Europeans,  is  most  bitter,  as  a  rule.  Having  been  informed  of  the 
hostile  attitude  of  the  people  toward  strangers,  I  felt  very  dubious 
about  making  the  visit,  fearing  they  might  do  me  an  injury.  But  to 
be  so  close  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  historic  towns  in  the  world, 
and  not  see  it,  although  the  opportunity  was  favorable,  was  more  than 
I  could  consent  to.  I  therefore  became  willing  to  attempt  the  journey 
with  the  disadvantages  and  risks  confronting  me.  To  see  the  old  city 
in  which  Abraham,  "the  father  of  the  faithful,"  dwelt,  which  many 
years  after  was  the  home  of  Jacob  and  his  family,  was  an  incentive  so 


150  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

overpowering,  the  peril  was  almost  lost  sight  of  entirely,  until  we  had 
come  near  the  northern  gate  of  the  city.  The  morning  we  started 
from  Jerusalem  for  Hebron,  was  very  unfavorable  ;  it  was  cold,  rainy, 
and  otherwise  disagreeable.  But  the  guide  had  hired  a  close  carriage 
for  us,  to  which  w'ere  hitched  three  good  traveling  horses,  which  the 
driver  urged  almost  every  foot  of  the  way,  that  the  trip  might  be  made 
in  five  hours  and  a  half  The  most  of  the  way  going  is  up-hill,  Heb- 
ron is  five  hundred  feet  above  Jerusalem ;  its  altitude  is  estimated  to 
be  the  highest  of  any  city  in  Palestine.  Our  party  had  a  memorable 
experience  that  day,  and  I  am  sure  neither  of  us  will  soon  forget  it. 
As  we  drew  within  a  few  miles  of  the  city  it  became  very  much  colder, 
and  on  several  occasions  we  got  into  snow-drifts,  which  our  team  refused 
to  pull  through  with  the  load.  This  compelled  us  to  get  out  of  the 
vehicle  and  push  both  carriage  and  horses,  until  we  had  gotten  through 
the  snow,  or  on  good  pulling  ground  ;  this  we  had  to  do  repeatedly. 

The  highest  point  on  the  way  to  Hebron  is  Ramah,  which  is  con- 
sidered the  most  elevated  place  in  Palestine,  and  south  of  the  Upper 
Galilee,  It  is  thirty-three  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Mediterranean  sea,  and  is  commonly  known  as  Abraham's  Hill. 
On  the  east  of  the  road,  a  short  distance,  is  the  traditional  site  of  the 
Oak  of  Mamre,  and  the  solitary  tree  that  stands  there  bearing  the 
marks  of  the  devouring  influence  of  time  is  called  Abraham's  Oak.  It 
is  supposed  to  be  on,  or  near  the  spot,  where  the  tree  stood,  under  which 
Abraham  sat  many  times  to  refresh  himself  in  the  cool  of  the  day. 
Continuing  on  the  public  highway  a  few  moments,  the  stranger's  eyes 
behold  ancient  Hebron  spread  out  before  them  in  almost  full  view, 
which  is  entered,  after  descending  the  hill,  from  wdiich  the  town  is  first 
seen.  Those  going  from  the  north  enter  Hebron  on  its  extreme 
northern  side ;  but  if  the  company  have  tents,  they  remain  outside  on 
the  tenting-ground  in  the  valley  near  by.  But  if  no  tents  are  taken, 
travelers  usually  stop  at  a  small  Jewish  inn,  where  moderately-good 
accommodations  are  obtained. 

ACCOMMODATIONS  FOR  CHRISTIANS. 

Those  going  to  Hebron  should  make  up  their  minds  to  calmly 
yield  to  the  discomforts  common  to  all  strangers,  as  there  is  but  little 
preparation  made  for  public  comfort.  I  am  confident  there  is  no  large 
town  in  Palestine,  that  has  such  meagre  accommodations  for  strangers 
as  ancient  Hebron.  The  truth  is,  the  natives  don't  want  Europeans 
there,  and  they  make  nothing  inviting  to  induce  them  to  come.  It  is 
far  the  best  to  have  a  tent ;  they  are  much  more  comfortable,  even  in  cold 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  151 

weather,  tlian  the  best  house  furnished  by  the  natives.  The  little  inn 
kept  by  the  Jews,  has  the  poorest  sleeping  comforts,  and  it  would  be 
far  more  preferable  to  sit  up  all  night,  than  to  go  to  bed  with  the  expec- 
tation of  getting  rest.  But  one  who  takes  delight  in  the  volumes  of 
antique  history  that  cluster  about  the  town,  will  quietly  submit  to  the 
situation  because  of  the  great  and  lasting  benefits  that  will  redound  to 
him  from  the  sacrifice  of  the  few  hours'  comfort  he  has  made.  It  is  a 
most  gratifying  pleasure  to  any  one  who  delights  in  the  searching  of 
Bible  history,  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  town  associated  with  events  promi- 
nent in  the  lives  of  holy  men,  from  the  early  period  of  our  w  )rld.  As 
the  visitor  looks  over  the  town,  and  round  about  the  hills  and  valleys 
within  the  range  of  his  observation,  many  events  connected  with  the 
patriarchs,  prophets  and  other  men  conspicuously  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures,  are  freshly  presented  to  his  mind  with  renewed  and  deep 
impressions.  Then  when  the  narratives  concerning  them  are  read  at 
or  near  the  place  they  occurred,  the  impressions  become  indelible,  and 
the  traveler  feels  at  times  as  though  he  were  transported  to  some  distant 
world.  The  connections  of  Hebron  with  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  very 
numerous.  If  we  should  turn  our  attention  down  the  line  of  nearly  four 
thousand  years,  that  have  been  launched  into  the  deep  of  eternity,  we 
will  call  up  many  stupendous  occurrences,  that  were  brought  into  promi- 
nence on  these  hills,  famously  renowned  in  sacred  and  secular  history, 
which  will  pass  like  a  beautiful  panorama  before  our  vision.  In  the 
first  place  we  Avould  see  many  things  connected  with  the  lives  of 
Abraham,  Sarah,  Jacob,  Leah  and  Joseph,  whose  lives  seem  to  be 
written  upon  the  everlasting  rocks  round  about  the  ancient  town,  whose 
fame  is  known  throughout  the  civilized  world.  Abraham,  the  oldest 
patriarch  and  "  father  of  the  faithful,"  spent  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
life  in  the  southern  parts  of  Palestine,  the  most  of  which  was  associated 
with  Hebron  and  its  vicinity.  It  was  at  times  called  Mamre,  and  at 
other  times  known  as  Kirjath-Arba. 

It  was  to  this  portion  of  the  country  he  came,  when  he  first  jour- 
neyed in  Canaan,  and  on  his  return  from  Egypt,  whither  he  had  fled 
from  the  distressing  famine  that  was  in  the  land.  During  the  time  he 
was  with  his  nephew,  he  spent  a  short  while  at  Bethel,  but  returned 
after  the  unpleasantness,  that  became  so  grievous,  that  a  separation  of 
his  herdsmen  and  those  of  Lot  was  made  necessary,  for  the  promotion 
of  peace  and  the  maintenance  of  friendship.  Lot  then  pitched  his 
tent  towards  Sodom,  and  "Abraham  moved  his,  and  came  and  dwelt  by 
the  Oaks  of  Mamre,  which  are  in  Hebron,  and  built  there  an  altar 
unto  the  Lord."     It  was  his  custom,  when  he  moved  to  a  place  to  set- 


152  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

tie  for  a  time,  to  build  an  altar,  and  dedicate  it  to  God.  This  act  of 
the  patriarch  made  the  place  memorable,  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, even  to  the  present  day.  Several  of  those  who  made  investiga- 
tions of  the  districts  in  which  Abraham  built  altars  have  attempted  to 
locate  them,  and,  although  the  exact  sites  cannot  be  positively  identi- 
fied, it  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  the  thousands  who  visit  Hebron,  Bethel 
and  Shechem  to  know  they  are  at  least  near  the  spot,  if  not  on  it, 
where  the  venerable  patriarch  erected  his  altars,  to  consecrate  the  place 
to  the  Most  High.  Abraham,  after  he  had  separated  from  his  nephew, 
Lot,  lived  long  enough  in  Hebron  to  form  the  acquaintance  and  win 
the  esteem  of  the  officials,  and  people  who  lived  there,  to  form  a  con- 
federation with  them,  and  pursue  Chedorlaomer  and  the  kings  who 
were  w'ith  him,  when  they  were  taking  Lot  and  his  possessions  in  cap- 
tivity. Aner,  Eshcol  and  Mamre,  joined  in  friendly  alliance  with 
Abraham,  and  went  forth  to  rescue  the  captives  with  the  patriarch,  who 
had  a  small  army  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen  trained  men  of  his 
own,  and  pursued  the  captors  of  Lot  as  far  as  Dan,  and  on  to  Hobah, 
which  is  on  the  left  hand  of  Damascus.  There  he  recaptured  Lot,  and 
all  his  goods,  and  all  his  people,  and  returned  in  triumph  to  Hebron 
and  sent  his  nephew  to  his  home  in  Sodom.  Here,  by  the  Oaks  of 
Mamre,  the  venerable  patriarch  sat  in  his  tent  door  in  the  heat  of  the 
day,  when  the  angels  paid  him  a  visit,  while  on  their  way  to  destroy 
Sodom,  and,  on  hearing  of  the  fearful  pending  calamity,  pleaded  for  the 
preservation  of  the  righteous,  whom  he  supposed  were  there,  and  the  w^hole 
city,  for  their  sake.  One,  standing  on  this  site  of  ancient  renown,  may 
imagine  he  can  see  Abraham,  at  the  dawn  of  the  following  morning 
standing  on  the  summit  of  the  high  hill  (called  after  his  name),  stretch- 
ing his  vision  down  into  the  valley  of  Siddim,  steadfastly  gazing  at  the 
smoke  of  the  obliterated  cities  of  the  plain  ascending  heavenward, 
"  like  the  smoke  of  a  furnace."  Then  he  knew  full  well  the  number 
of  righteous  persons,  for  whom  he  so  earnestly  and  faithfully  pleaded, 
were  not  found,  and  the  cup  of  the  people's  transgressions  having  been 
filled  to  overflowing  they  were  consumed.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
his  mind  fell  upon  his  nephew,  and  wondered  how  he  and  those  with 
him  fared.  Abraham  made  Mamre  his  permanent  home.  If  he  left 
there  it  was  but  for  a  short  while,  for  he  was  sure  to  return  to  the  place 
where  the  Lord  came  to  him  in  human  form,  and  told  him  not  only  of 
the  pending  wrath  hanging  over  the  cities  of  the  plain  of  Siddim,  but 
assured  him  that  he  should  be  blessed  with  a  son  in  the  advanced  age  of 
himself  and  wife,  whose  descendants  should  be  as  innumerable  as  the 
stars  of  the  Heaven,  or  the  sand  grains  upon  the  the  sea-shore.    It  was 


AlfCIENT  HEBEON.  153 

at  Hebron  Abraham  was  living,  when  Sarah,  his  beloved  wife,  died  ; 
here  he  greatly  lamented  her  loss  to  him ;  here  he  bought  for  the  first 
time,  a  plat  of  ground,  expressly  for  a  burial-place,  where  he  laid  to 
rest  Sarah,  his  wife.  Himself,  Isaac  and  Rebecca,  his  wife,  Jacob  and 
his  first  wife,  Leah — all  these  ancient  ashes  are  still  quietly  resting 
within  the  cave  Machpelah,  guarded  day  and  night  by  the  vigilant 
sons  of  Ishmael,  with  sleepless  eyes  and  attentive  ears, — even  the  ap- 
proach to  the  sacred  precincts  of  their  illustrious  dead.  (Gen.  xiv. 
13-18  ;  xviii.  1-16-32  ;  xix.  27-28.) 

There  was  an  anxious  wish  existing  among  children  of  olden  times 
to  be  buried  with  their  fathers,  and  often  they  would  die  far  from 
home ;  but,'  according  to  their  request,  surviving  friends  would  have 
them  buried  where  they  desired  to  rest.  Thus  it  was  with  Jacob,  who 
died  in  Goshen,  in  Egypt,  but  was  brought  to  Hebron  to  be  buried 
"with  his  father.  Isaac  spent  most  of  his  life  away  from  the  old  home- 
stead, but  returned  before  his  days  were  ended,  and  died,  having  a 
desire  to  be  buried  with  his  father  in  Machpelah.  Jacob,  who  in  early 
life,  fled  from  the  wrath  of  Esau,  his  brother,  returned  to  Hebron 
(after  many  storms  of  afiliction  passed  over  him),  and  made  it  his  per- 
manent home.  He  was  living  there  when  his  sons  were  attending  the 
flocks  in  the  pastures  in  Shechem,  and  Dothan ;  from  Hebron,  Joseph, 
his  beloved  son,  was  sent  to  look  after  their  welfare,  who,  when  draw- 
ing near  the  camp  where  they  were,  was  filled  with  joy  to  know  they 
were  well.  But  the  moment  his  brothers  saw  him,  vengeance  was 
plotted,  and  they  cruelly  treated  him,  bringing  floods  of  sorrow  to  the 
heart  of  their  aged  father,  who  with  anxious  desire,  looked  for  Joseph 
to  return  home  with  the  tidings  as  to  the  welfare  of  his  brethren ;  but 
the  lad  did  not  return  to  him,  nor  could  he  hear  anything  from  him 
until  the  plot  of  deception,  formulated  by  his  elder  sons,  was  made 
strong  enough  to  look  plausible  in  his  eyes.  Joseph  did  not  come  to 
Hebron  until  that  mournful  day,  when  he  led  the  heart-stricken  pro- 
cession from  Egypt,  with  the  mortal  remains  of  Jacob  his  father,  whose 
dying  request  was,  that  his  body  should  be  buried  with  his  father. 

JOSEPH'S  MOUENFUL  EETUEN. 

Although  the  occasion  was  sad  and  would  naturally  absorb  all 
other  reflections,  yet  we  doubt  not,  when  Joseph  drew  near  Hebron, 
and  he  looked  upon  the  home  of  his  childhood,  and  upon  the  hills  on 
which  he  used  to  stand  in  the  long  gone-by  days,  refreshing  himself  in 
the  cool  of  the  day,  vmder  the  boughs  of  the  great  oaks ;  and  as  he 
thought  of  the  other  incidents  connected  with  his  life  while  at  home, 


154  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

such  as  tlie  field,  in  which  the  sheaves  of  wheat  stood,  that  he  saw  in 
his  dream,  and  his  dream  of  the  sun,  moon  and  eleven  stars,  that  made 
obeisance  to  him,  and  then  of  the  memorable  day  he  journeyed  from 
home  to  look  after  the  welfare  of  his  brethren  ;  all  these  incidents  like 
a  flood  rushed  into  his  mind  as  he  was  approaching  the  margin  of  the 
scenes  of  his  youth.  It  is  presumable  that  during  these  reflections,  he 
looked  down  the  line  of  the  past  and  saw  himself  a  boy,  seventeen 
years  old,  standing  before  his  father  telling  his  wonderful  dreams  that 
laid  the  foundation  for  the  flame  of  unquenchable  hatred  his  brethren 
kindled  in  their  hearts  against  him.  He  saw  himself  at  Shechem,  and 
Dothan,  and  the  execution  of  the  malicious  scheme,  concocted  by  his 
brethren  to  put  him  where  his  dreams  could  never  be  verified  ;  he  saw 
all  the  affairs  concocted  with  the  event  that  caused  his  father  to  weep 
bitterly  many  long  years,  and  which  caused  his  return  that  day,  to  the 
home  of  his  infancy.  These  streams  of  reflection  must  have  filled  his 
heart,  which  was  already  freighted  with  grief  on  account  of  the  death 
of  his  fond  father,  to  overflowing  and  caused  the  suppressed  tears  to 
flow  copiously,  and  force  him  to  give  vent  to  the  most  pitiable  lamenta- 
tions ever  heard  by  the  inhabitants  at  Hebron.  The  long  funeral  pro- 
cession that  came  from  Goshen  in  Egypt,  with  the  embalmed  body  of 
Jacob,  to  Hebron,  was  in  compliance  with  the  patriarch's  dying  request. 
When  the  sons  of  Jacob  gathered  around  his  bed,  just  a  while  before 
he  died,  to  receive  his  last  benediction,  he  asked  them  to  lay  him  to  rest 
with  his  fathers.  "And  he  charged  them,  and  said  unto  them,  I  am  to 
be  gathered  unto  my  people ;  bury  me  with  my  fathers,  in  the  cave 
that  is  in  the  field  of  Ephron,  the  Hittite,  in  the  cave  that  is  in  the  field 
of  Machpelah,  which  is  before  Mamre,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which 
Abraham  bought  with  the  field  of  Ephron,  the  Hittite,  for  the  posses- 
sion of  a  burying-place.  There  they  buried  Abraham  and  Sarah,  his 
wife,  there  they  buried  Isaac  and  RebekaK,  his  wife,  and  there  I  buried 
Leah."  Therefore,  in  accordance  with  this  most  fervent  and  pathetic 
request  of  the  father  of  the  great  Hebrew  nation,  Joseph  and  the  other 
members  of  the  family,  in  connection  with  a  great  train  of  sympathiz- 
ing friends,  proceeded  mournfully  from  Goshen  to  Hebron,  that  the 
last  dying  favor  Jacob  asked,  might  be  promptly  and  faithfully  fulfilled. 
It  was  the  unfailing  custom  of  the  Hebrews  to  carry  out  the  wish  of 
their  dead,  especially  one  who  was  the  head  of  a  family  or  one  who 
had  been  in  authority.  It  will  be  called  to  mind  also,  that  in  the 
event  of  the  exit  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  they  gathered  up  the 
bones  of  Joseph,  who  had  been  long  dead,  and  brought  them  to  the 
"  Land  of  Promise,"  and  buried  them  near  the  well  of  Jacob  in  the 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  155 

vale  of  Shechem,  because  Joseph  charged  them  concerning  his  bones 

when  he  was  about  to  die,  and   the  request  was   remembered   and 

fulfilled. 

THE  MOSQUE  MACHPELAH. 

The  ancient  mosque,  formerly  known  as  the  Cave  of  Machpelah, 
at  Hebron,  is  called  Abraham's  Mosque.  It  is  strictly  guarded  by  the 
Mohammedans,  in  whose  absolute  charge  it  is,  as  well  as  the  whole  city. 
The  great  mosque  is  built  over  the  entire  space  occupied  by  the  cave, 
and  closes  it  in  from  the  gaze  of  the  outside  world.  The  Arabs  are 
seen  about  this  sacred  resting-place  of  the  immortal  Abraham,  and 
others  of  his  family,  by  the  hundreds  from  day  to  day,  fully  prepared 
for  any  emergency.  Such  is  the  love  and  veneration  for  his  tomb, 
they  are  willing  to  lay  down  their  existence,  that  it  may  be  protected 
against  the  encroachments  of  those  whom  they  regard  as  unbelievers. 
With  the  conscientiousness  with  which  these  sons  of  Ishmael  protect 
the  mosque,  we  do  not  believe  it  to  be  in  the  least  degree  beyond  the 
bounds  of  propriety,  nor  the  slightest  digression  from  the  truth  to  say? 
they  are  as  vigilant,  in  guarding  the  tomb  of  their  great  ancestor,  as 
were  the  Roman  guards  who  were  placed  at  the  sepulchre  of  our 
Redeemer.  Visitors  are  not  permitted  to  advance  farther  than  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  feet  along  the  wall  leading  up  to  the  entrance  gate  to  the 
mosque  ;  and,  notwithstanding  Hebron  is  one  of  the  four  sacred  cities 
of  the  Jews  in  Palestine,  they  are  not  permitted  to  enter  within  the 
walls  of  the  enclosure,  nor  approach  nearer  to  it  than  visitors  from 
other  lands,  who  are  not  of  the  Moslem  sect.  These  poor,  oppressed 
Jews  content  themselves  with  coming  to  their  lawful  limit,  at  a  point 
in  the  exterior  wall  where  a  portion  of  the  natural  rock  is  seen.  Here 
the  devout  Jews  assemble  to  pray,  and  impress  the  ancient  rock  with  a 
fervent  kiss.  There  is  no  division  of  opinion  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
cave  of  Machpelah,  the  resting-place  of  Abraham.  Jews,  Christians,  and 
Mohammedans  are  united  in  their  unswerving  faith  as  to  the  undoubted 
genuineness  of  the  site.  Until  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
eighty-one,  but  little  had  been  known  with  reference  to  the  internal 
bearing  and  arrangements  of  the  Haram.  At  that  time  the  Prince  of 
Wales  secured  permission  to  enter,  and  took  with  him  a  few  friends. 
They  also  made  good  their  only  favorable  opportunity,  and  took  a 
careful  and  full  measurement  of  its  entire  interior.  They  give  the 
following  account  as  the  result  of  their  investigation.  It  is  only  possi- 
ble for  us  to  give  a  part  of  their  statement.  "  The  outer  walls  enclose 
a  quadrangle  measuring  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  feet  long,  by 
one  hundred  and  eleven  feet  wide,  externally.     There  are  twenty-eight 


156  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

buttresses,  each  twenty-five  feet  high,  standing  on  a  base  wall.  The 
masonry  of  the  walls  resembles  the  olden  masonry  of  the  Jerusalem 
Haram,  and  thus  proves  their  Jewish  origin.  The  average  height  of  the 
courses  is  three  feet  seven  inches  long,  and  three  feet  eight  and  a  half 
inches  high  ;  the  thickness  of  the  walls  is  the  same  as  that  at  Jerusa- 
lem, namely,  eight  feet  and  a  half,  and  the  average  height  at  the  ancient 
wall  is  forty  feet.  On  the  top  of  this  is  a  modern  wall  with  battlements, 
plastered  and  white-washed.  On  the  north,  south,  and  east,  the  enclosure 
is  surrounded  by  another  of  more  modern  masonry,  forming  passages 
with  two  flights  of  steps.  The  four  corners  of  the  Haram  point  nearly 
to  the  four  quarters  of  the  compass,  so  that  the  longer  sides  are  south- 
w^est  and  northeast,  and  the  shorter  sides  northwest  and  southeast 
respectively.  The  gates  leading  to  the  steps  are  situated  at  the  west 
and  south  ends  of  the  southwest  side,  and  both  lead  up  by  passages  to 
a  doorway  in  the  northeast  side,  which  is  the  only  opening  into  the 
interior  of  the  Haram. 

"  The  church  occupies  the  southeast  portion  of  the  enclosure,  three 
of  its  walls  being  formed  by  the  ancient  outer  ramparts.  It  is  divided 
into  a  nave  and  two  aisles  of  almost  equal  width,  and  its  length  is 
again  divided  into  three  bays,  measuring  twenty-five,  thirty  and  fifteen 
feet  respectively.  The  total  length  of  the  church  is  seventy  feet,  the 
breadth  ninety-three  feet.  There  is  a  clear  story  with  three  windows 
on  each  side  above  the  nave,  and  a  low-pitched  gable  at  the  northwest 
end,  having  a  large  window,  slightly  arched  above,  which  is  a  round  win- 
dow now  outside  the  roof  of  the  nave,  which  has  a  ridge  lower  than  the 
top  of  the  gable.  The  interior  of  the  roof  is  slightly  pointed  with  flat-rib- 
bed grain.  The  aisle-rafts  are  nearly  flat,  and  the  whole  are  covered  with 
lead.  The  naive  is  supported  by  four  large  piers  with  clustered  columns, 
the  capitals  being  adorned  with  thick  leaves  and  mediaeval  volute.  The 
church  is  now  a  Moslem  Mosque,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  southeast 
wall  a  mihrab,  or  prayer  recess,  has  been  carved  out.  It  is  flanked  by 
slender  pillars  having  rich  gothic  capitals,  and  by  two  wax  torches. 
Above  it  is  a  window  of  stained  glass,  resembling  those  on  the  dome  of 
the  rock  at  Jerusalem,  and  dating  from  about  fifteen  hundred  and 
twenty-eight.  The  mimbar,  or  pulpit,  stands  on  the  right  of  the 
mihrab  and  resembles  that  in  the  Mosque  Aksa.  It  was  constructed 
in  the  year  ten  hundred  and  ninety-one,  and  was  given  to  the 
Mosque  by  Saladin,  in  eleven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  after  the 
capture  of  Askelon.  The  merhala,  or  reading-platform,  is  similar  to 
that  of  other  INIosques.  In  the  east  corner  of  the  northeast  aisle  is  a 
Greek   inscription   built   into   the   wall,  apparently  of   the   time   of 


ANCIENT  HEBEON.  157 

Justinian,  containing  an  invocation  to  Abraham  for  a  blessing  on  those 
who  erected  it. 

"  The  entrances  to  the  cave  below  are  closed  with  stone  flags, 
and  are  never  opened.  The  caves  could  only  be  reached  by  breaking 
up  the  flooring  of  the  Mosque,  which  would  be  regarded  by  the 
Moslems  as  an  unpardonable  act  of  sacrilege.  The  cave,  however,  is 
said  to  be  double,  as  the  word  '  Machpelah,'  signifies,  and  in  the 
middle  ages  it  was  called  '  Spelunca  duplex,'  in  consequence.  Two 
entrances  are  supposed  to  lead  into  the  southwest  cave,  and  one  into 
the  northeast.  In  these  caves  are  said  to  be  the  graves  of  six 
Patriarchs — Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac  and  Rebekah,  Jacob  and" 
Leah. 

"  Over  the  supposed  positions  of  these  tombs  are  placed  cenotaphs. 
The  shrines  of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  stand  within  two  octagonal 
chapels  in  the  porch,  which  is  double ;  the  vaulted,  grained  roof,  rest- 
ing on  heavy  piers,  and,  according  to  an  inscription,  was  restored  in 
seventeen  hundred  and  fifty-five.  The  shrines  are  covered  with  green 
and  white  silk,  embroidered  with  green  Arabic  texts  in  gold  thread. 
The  entrances  are  closed  and  opened  by  barred  gates  of  iron,  plated 
silver,  of  the  date  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-nine.  The  walls  are 
cased  with  marble,  having  Arabic  inscriptions  near  the  top.  Silver 
lamps  and  ostrich  shells  are  hung  before  the  cenotaphs,  which  are 
each  eight  feet  long,  four  feet  broad,  and  eight  feet  high.  Copies  of  the 
Koran  on  low  wooden  seats  surround  the  cenotaphs.  The  shrines  are 
lighted  by  stained  glass  windows.  To  the  northwest  of  the  porcb,  is  an 
open  court-yard,  in  which  is  a  sun  dial,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the 
court  are  the  buildings  enclosing  the  shrines  of  Jacob  and  Leah. 
Behind  them  are  two  small  chambers  now  used  as  lumber  rooms. 

"A  long  chamber  is  situated  at  the  southwest  end  of  the  buildings, 
and  a  door  leads  from  it  through  the  ancient  rampart  wall  to  another 
chamber  fifty  feet  long,  by  twenty  feet  broad,  which  apparently  leads 
to  the  shrine  of  Joseph,  which  is  reached  through  a  vaulted  gallery,  in 
the  corner  of  which  is  Adam's  foot-print.  This  relic,  brought  from 
Mecca  six  hundred  years  ago,  is  a  slab  of  stone  with  a  sunken  portion 
resembling  the  impression  of  a  human  foot.  It  is  enclosed  in  a  recess 
at  the  back  of  the  shrine  of  Abraham.  A  small  lead  dome  stands 
above  the  gallery  close  to  this  place.  The  shrine  of  Joseph  consists  of 
two  chambers,  one  over  the  other,  in  each  of  which  there  is  a  cenotaph, 
as  in  the  '  Tomb  of  David,'  at  Jerusalem.  The  whole  is  surmounted 
by  an  octagonal  lantern,  with  a  dome  covered  with  lead.  Each  ceno- 
taph is  covered  with  green  silk.     The  lower  chamber  is  entered  by  a 


158  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

passage  just  within  the  west  gate  of  the  Haram.  The  shrine  of  Joseph 
is  of  Arabian  workmanship,  and  is  evidently  much  more  modern  than 
the  other  slirines  in  the  Haram.  The  mosque  has  two  minarets.  The 
dates  of  the  various  portions  of  the  Haram  are  probably  as  follows : 
The  outer  walls,  or  ramparts,  are  Herodian  ;  the  mosque  or  church  is 
crusading,  and  was  built  between  the  years  eleven  hundred  and  sixty, 
and  eleven  hundred  and  eighty ;  the  shrine  of  Joseph,  the  outer  pas- 
sages, door-ways  and  steps  are  Arabic,  and  date  from  the  fourteenth 
century ;  the  stained-glass  windows  belong  to  the  sixteenth  century  ; 
whilst  certain  restorations  in  the  court-yard,  and  additional  adornments 
of  the  shrines  are  of  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  centuries.  The 
pavement  is  comparatively  modern  ("  Murray's  hand-book  of  Palestine 
and  Syria  ").  We  are  indebted  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  for  the  above 
description  of  the  mosque  surrounding  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  Had  it 
not  been  that  he  was  permitted  to  visit  and  investigate  its  interior  by 
a  special  dispensation,  the  outside  world  would  have  been  ignorant 
until  the  present,  and  perhaps  forever,  of  the  arrangements  of  this 
most  stupendous  building,  that  closes  the  eye  of  man  from  the  sight 
of  a  renowned  rock,  in  the  cavern  of  which,  the  mortal  remains  of 
the  father  of  patriachs  were  rested,  to  await  the  awakening  voice  of 
the  arch-angel's  trump.  This  ancient  tomb  makes  Hebron  more  sacredly 
remembered,  because  the  grave  of  Abraham  is  there,  than  it  was  when 
the  sire  was  actively  engaged  in  the  natural  pursuits  of  life,  in  and 
about  it.  It  is  likely  there  will  never  be  another  visitor  (who  is  not 
a  Moslem),  periuitted  to  enter  within  the  gates  of  the  Haram  enclosure 
again  ;  especially  while  it  is  under  the  control  of  the  Mohammedans. 
Therefore,  all  Christendom  should  appreciate  the  information  we  have 
concerning  it,  through  the  princely  son  of  England. 

There  are  many  events  of  great  interest  to  our  world,  which  cluster 
in  and  about  Hebron,  that  are  detailed  in  various  scripture  narratives, 
and  in  the  writings  of  ancient  historians,  that  would  compose  a  large 
volume.  Concerning  these  things  we  shall  be  able  to  give  only  a  pass- 
ing account.  The  first  evidence  of  the  abundant  products,  the  rich- 
ness and  desirable  situation,  and  general  condition  of  the  "Land  of 
Caanan,"  that  stimulated  the  children  of  Israel  to  possess  it,  was  the 
fruits  brought  to  the  camp  by  the  spies,  who  had  been  sent  out  to  obtain 
information  as  to  its  general  condition.  The  men  who  continued  their 
survey  from  the  border  land  east  of  the  Jordan,  even  into  the  valley 
of  Eshcol,  took  back  with  them  bunches  of  grapes,  and  reported,  say- 
ing, "  The  land  is  good,  and  we  are  fully  able  to  go  up  and  possess  it." 
Caleb  and  Joshua,  who  were  the  senior  representatives  of  the  tribe  of 


ANCIENT  HEBRON.  159 

Judali.  seem  to  have  been  so  well  pleased  witli  Hebron  that  tliey  re- 
quested to  be  allowed  to  make  it  their  home,  notwithstanding  the 
Anakim  giants  lived  there. 

A  GREAT  REFUGE  CITY. 

After  the  children  of  Israel  entered  upon  th  eir  several  allotments 
throughout  the  land,  Hebron  was  constituted  one  of  the  cities  of  refuge, 
and  within  its  gates,  many  poor,  fleeing  Hebrews,  found  security  from 
the  wrath  of  the  avenger.  The  law,  demanding  '•  an  eye  for  an  eye 
and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,"  was  practically  enforced  in  the  early  days  of 
the  Israelitish  occupancy  of  Palestine,  and  that  a  person  might  have  a 
chance  for  his  life  in  cases  of  accidental  injuries,  six  cities  of  refuge 
were  established  in  different  localities,  and  corresponding  distances, 
known  as  Levitical  cities.  The  custom  of  blood  revenge  was  prom- 
inent among  the  Hebrews,  and  many  times  they  would  commit  grave 
blunders,  and  frequently  charge  the  wrong  man  with  the  crime  for 
which  they  sought  revenge.  These  visitations  of  revenge  became  so 
generally  indulged  in  by  the  Israelites,  even  while  they  were  yet  in 
the  wilderness,  that  they  were  common  occurrences,  and  the  practice 
would  have  grown  more  popular  and  tyrannical  had  not  the  Lord 
checked  or  modified  the  custom  by  ordering  Moses  to  appoint  cities  of 
refuge,  in  which  there  should  be  judges  to  investigate  the  case  (Deut.  iv. 
43  ;  xix.1-10 ;  Josh.  xiii.  26  ;  xx.  8 ;  Deut.  xix.  7-9  ;  Josh.  xx.  2-3-8  ;  1 
Kings  xxii.  29)  of  each  person  who  fled  to  them  from  the  wrath  of  his 
pursuer,  whether  he  should  be  a  Hebrew  or  a  stranger.  And  if  the 
crime  be  one  for  which  the  refugee  should  atone,  the  avenger  had  the 
liberty  to  slay  him ;  but  if  after  due  examination,  it  should  be  found 
the  killing  was  not  an  act  stimulated  by  deliberation  and  intent,  he 
was  set  free.  At  first  there  were  six  of  these  cites,  three  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Jordan,  as  follows  :  Galon,  in  the  territory  of  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh,  on  the  northwestern  border  of  the  kingdom  of  Bashan ; 
another  was  Ramoth  Gilead,  or  Ramoth  Mizpet,  in  the  confines  of  the 
tribe  of  Gad  ;  and  the  third  was  Bezer,  situated  within  the  territory  of 
Reuben.  The  three  on  the  west  of  the  Jordan  were  Kedesh  of  Xaphtali, 
in  northern  Palestine,  Shechem  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim.  Hebron 
became  the  city  of  next  importance  for  all  the  people  living  in  southern 
Palestine,  not  only  because  of  its  physical  attractions,  but  it  was  the 
great  haven  of  security  for  many  whose  lives  were  unjustly  sought  by 
the  avenger  of  blood.  Travelers  who  go  over  to  Hebron  by  the  different 
ancient  highways  may  think  of  the  flight  of  many,  who,  in  the  early 
days  of  the  children  of  Israel,  sped  their  way  over  thes  ame  road  in 


160  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

pursuit  of  a  safe  retreat,  while  the  sun  -was  pouring  out  its  melting  heat 
upon  them,  yet  they  persevered  to  the  end. 

HEBRON— THE  FIEST  CAPITAL  OF  DAVID. 

Hebron  was  the  capital  of  the  loyal  portion  of  Israel  during  the 
first  seven  and  a  half  years  of  David's  reign,  and  it  was  from  there 
his  army  was  sent  forth,  under  the  command  of  Joab,  to  war  with 
Ish-bosheth,  the  son  of  King  Saul.  And  to  Hebron,  the  remains  of 
Abner  were  taken,  after  being  cruelly  slain,  and  honorably  buried  by 
David,  who  piteously  mourned  his  death.  It  was  also  the  scene  of 
great  jubilation  on  the  memorable  day,  when  David  was  installed  king 
over  the  whole  nation.  The  chief  men  of  all  the  tribes,  east  and  west 
of  the  Jordan,  came  in  teaming  multitudes  to  Hebron,  with  many 
precious  fruits  of  the  land,  such  as  "  bread  and  meat,  meal,  cakes  of 
figs,  and  bunches  of  raisins,  and  wine,  oil,  oxen  and  sheep  abundantly." 
They  came  on  "  donkeys,  camels,  mules  and  oxen."  The  rejoicing 
multitude  made  the  hills  and  valleys  echo  with  their  shouts  of  high 
praises  to  their  new  king. 

When  the  Jews  returned  from  their  captivity  at  Babylon,  and 
rebuilt  Jerusalem,  they  also  renewed  the  waste  places  of  Hebron.  But 
it  was  not  permanently  held  by  them.  The  Edomites,  who  were  deadly 
enemies  to  the  Jews,  captured  the  ancient  city  and  controlled  it  until 
Judas  jNIaccabseus  rescued  it  from  them.  It  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
crusaders,  and  was  made  the  headquarters  of  a  Latin  bishopric,  in  the 
year  eleven  hundred  and  sixty-seven,  and  remained,  partially  under 
their  control,  for  nearly  two  hundred  years,  but  the.  formidable  Mos- 
lems finally  gained  possession  of  it,  and  have  the  absolute  control  of  it 
until  the  present.  But  alas,  Hebron,  the  ancient  city,  in  and  around 
which  cluster  so  many  important  events  connected  with  the  history  of 
the  world,  the  city  whose  fame  is  immortalized  because  of  the  distinc- 
tion given  it  by  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful,  has  greatly  fallen 
from  the  glory  with  which  it  was  crowned,  in  the  years  those  ancient 
hills  echoed  songs  of  praise  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  chanted  by  the  patri- 
archs, Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  The  many  events,  recorded  of  old, 
concerning  Hebron  are  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  Christendom,  and 
will  lose  none  of  their  influence  to  the  end  of  the  world,  so  that,  from 
one  generation  to  another,  the  historian,  the  tourist,  the  Jew  and 
Mohammedan  will  fondly  turn  their  attention  to  Hebron,  and  seek  to 
know  something  of  the  early  greatness  of  the  once  happy  home  of  the 
early  fathers,  from  which  evolved  much  of  the  primitive  history  of  the 
religious  world.    The  descendants  of  those  whose  prominence  and  jjiety 


ANCIENT  HEBKON.  161 

so  greatly  distinguished  the  city,  have  lost  their  control  of  it,  and  are 
now  subordinate  to  the  sons  of  Hagar,  who,  with  relentless  ostracism, 
refuse  them  permission  to  look  upon  the  site  in  which  ai'e  deposited  the 
dusty  remains  of  their  illustrious  ancestor.  These  self-destroyed  peo- 
ple, who,  in  the  morning  of  their  glory,  boasted  in  the  fact  that  Abra- 
ham was  their  father,  may  be  seen  every  day  standing  by  the  wall 
enclosing  the  rocky  chamber,  of  which  his  sepulchre  is  composed,  and 
drop  a  tear,  impi'ess  a  kiss,  and  then  mournfully  return  to  their  homes, 
having  no  real  prospect  of  ever  being  permitted  to  gaze  upon  the  sacred 
tomb,  or  even  enter  the  gates  of  the  Haram  leading  to  it.  They  prayer- 
fully wait  for  the  time,  when  those  who  oppose  and  cause  many  sorrows 
to  depress  them,  will  be  compelled  to  surrender  the  Machpelah  cave  to 
them  without  a  struggle,  and  yet  they  have  not  learned  to  trust  in  Him 
whose  arm  alone  can  help  them.  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  mention  a 
word  or  two  as  to  the  treatment  I  received  from  the  people  of  Hebron, 
while  in  their  ancient  city.  It  will  be  remembered,  I  stated  elsewhere, 
how  hostile  the  Arabs  are  said  to  be  to  European  visitors  and  Chris- 
tians generally,  who  go  there  sight-seeing,  and  how  dubious  I  felt  about 
making  the  trip,  when  we  started  from  Jerusalem  under  very  unfavor- 
able circumstances.  But,  to  my  great  surprise  and  gratification,  the 
people  who  have  been  known  to  impose  upon  and  even  injure  those 
who  have  visited  there,  treated  me  with  the  utmost  kindness.  Their 
expressions  to  me  seemed  to  be  full  of  the  most  cordial  welcome  and 
good  will.  I  am  of  the  opinion  these  poor  Ishmaelites  have  been  often 
driven  to  take  harsh  measures,  with  many  strangers  who  have  come 
among  them,  because  many  advantages  are  taken  of  them  in  various 
ways. 

It  is  many  times  the  case,  that  those  who  visit  Palestine  have  first 
made  a  tour  through  India  or  Egypt,  where  the  natives  allow  all  kinds 
of  impositions  ;  and  these  same  people,  who  have  been  masters  of  the 
situation  in  those  countries  mentioned,  many  times  attempt  the  same 
kind  of  bossism  in  Hebron  ;  but  the  people  will  not  allow  it.  This 
often  brings  about  trouble,  and  the  inoffensive  and  oflfensive  are  served 
alike.  These  people  are  ever  ready  to  stand  in  their  own  defence,  and 
when  there  is  the  least  indication  of  imposition,  they  are  ready  to  resent 
it  severely.  It  is  also  true,  no  doubt,  that  many  of  them,  because  they 
hate  strangers  of  Chi'istian  bearing,  who  come  among  them,  will  seek  a 
chance  to  misuse  them,  and  upon  the  least  provocation  will  assault 
them.  When  they  see  a  white  man  coming  into  their  town,  he  is  at 
once  looked  upon  as  an  enemy ;  therefore,  they  want  nothing  to  do 
with  him,  and  feel  relieved  of  a  burden  when  he  leaves  their  borders. 
11 


162  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

I  can  say  of  them  gladly,  their  treatment  of  me,  as  far  as  I  observed, 
was  as  good  as  any  one  could  hope  for,  from  a  superstitious  people 
whose  "  hand  is  against  every  man."  Indeed  I  fared  as  well  in  He- 
bron as  in  any  place  in  Palestine,  so  far  as  being  kindly  treated  is  con- 
cerned. I  was  somewhat  of  a  novelty  to  them,  not  because  of  my 
complexion,  for  they  are  nearly  all  colored,  as  is  common  to  their  race  ; 
but  because  I  was  dressed  in  what  is  known  as  European  style  of  dress? 
and  looked  so  different  from  them,  whose  scanty  habits  are  such  as  are 
commonly  worn  by  the  Orientals.  When  they  saw  me,  they  looked  as 
if  struck  with  profound  astonishment,  and  seemed  to  express  the 
wonder,  if  1  had  once  been  a  Mohammedan  and  turned  from  their  faith 
to  embrace  the  Christian  religion.  But  as  I  could  not  speak  Arabic 
and  they  could  not  speak  English,  we  were  shut  off  from  immediate 
intercourse,  and  the  only  thing  we  did  was  to  bow  and  smile  at  each 
other.  I  was  the  only  one  in  our  company  they  seemed  to  express  a 
desire  to  have  any  communication  with.  Nevertheless,  I  was  glad 
when  the  time  allotted  for  our  stay  was  spent,  and  our  faces  were  again 
turned  toward  Jerusalem.  There  is  no  necessity  to  remain  in  Hebron 
more  than  two  or  three  hours,  as  all  that  is  to  be  seen  of  interest  to 
travelers  may  be  visited  in  that  time.  It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  of  the 
fifteen  thousand  inhabitants  of  the  town,  not  one  of  these  has 
embraced  Christianity,  and  we  are  persuaded  it  is  next  to  an  impossi- 
bility, for  a  Christian  to  live  there  while  it  is  under  Moslem  rule.  The 
one  thousand  Jews  who  are  there,  we  understand,  are  not  accorded  the 
freedoo;  the  Arabs  have,  and  are  but  a  small  consideration  in  the 
estimation  of  the  dominant  race. 


X 

X 
h 

DQ 
O 


u 


PART  YIII. 

FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM. 

Places  of  Interest  Along  the  Road — Valley  of  Giants — AVell  of  the  Wise  Men — 
Tomb  of  Rachel — Well  of  David—  Church  of  the  "Holy  Nativity  " — Ancient 
Inns — Description  of  the  Holy  Nativity — Altar  of  the  Magi — Joseph  and 
Mary  Journeying  from  Nazareth — The  Advent  of  Jesus — Solomon's  Porch 
— Solomon's  Gardens  and  Orchards — Mar  Saba — Site  of  the  Convent — Places 
of  Interest  from  Bethlehem  to  Jericho — The  Well  Bir  Essuk — Character  of 
the  Beduoins — Wilderness  of  Judea — Wilderness  of  Engedi — Dead  Sea — 
Mountains  of  Sodom — Cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah — The  A''ale  of  Siddim 
— Location  of  Zoar — Earthquakps  as  a  Work  of  Destruction — The  Amorites 
— The  Hot  Springs — Judah  and  Israel  Combined  Against  jSIoab — The  Valley 
of  the  Jordan — Plain  of  Jericho — City  of  Palm  Trees — The  Jordan  River — 
The  Faithfulness  of  the  People  of  Palestine  for  their  Church  Services — 
Nebo  and  Pisgah — The  View  of  Moses — Joshua  Camped  at  Gilgal — The 
Three  Jerichoes — Spring  of  Elisha — The  Second  Jericho — The  Brook 
Cherith — The  Highway  to  Jericho — Mount  of  Temptation. 

BETHLEHEM,  House  of  Bread,  now  called  by  the  natives  Beit 
Lahm,  is  about  five  miles  and  a  half  from  Jerusalem,  a  little 
to  the  southwest,  and  eighteen  miles  from  ancient  Hebron.  The  road 
is  in  splendid  condition  and  speed  can  be  kept  up,  after  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom  is  crossed,  as  far  as  Rachel's  Tomb,  which  is  a  pleasure  greatly 
admired  by  travelers  in  that  country,  because  it  so  seldom  happens 
that  good  roads  are  made.  Starting  from  the  Joppa  gate  for  Bethle- 
hem, or  Hebron,  or  any  of  the  country  on  the  south  and  southwest  of 
Jerusalem,  the  descent  into  the  valley  is  so  very  abrupt,  that  it  is 
necessary  to  ride  very  slowly  and  cautiously,  for  if  the  animal  should 
fall  the  result  might  be  fatal  to  the  rider.  This  highway  is  not  only 
made  lively  by  the  multitudes  who  are  continually  going  and  coming, 
but  the  visitor  is  kept  busy  looking  at  the  many  places  that  make  up 
much  of  the  history  of  Palestine  ;  prominent  among  them  are  as 
follows :  The  Plain  of  Rephaim,  also  known  as  the  Valley  of  the 
Giants,  which  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Philistines,  who 
spread  themselves  here  when  they  sought  David  and  were  defeated. 
It  is  a  broad  plain,  and  was  in  olden  times  very  rich  and  productive,  and 

163 


164  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

extends  several  miles.  The  Germans  have  a  colony  settled  in  one  por- 
tion of  it,  not  far  from  the  main  road  leading  to  the  south,  and  are 
doing  well.  It  will  be  largely  occupied  by  Europeans  no  doubt  in  the 
near  future,  as  those  who  have  settled  in  the  "  plain  "  are  meeting  with 
great  prosperity.  The  next  place  of  interest  is  the  "  Well  of  the 
Wise  Men,"  situated  on  the  roadside.  Here,  tradition  says,  "  Those 
men,  who  were  guided  by  a  star  from  their  eastern  home  to  Jerusalem, 
stopped  after  being  sent  by  Herod  to  search  for  Jesus.  The  star  hav- 
ing disappeared  during  their  conference  with  the  king,  they  came  down 
and  stood  by  this  ancient  well,  and  looking  down  saw  their  guiding 
star  reflecting  in  the  water,  and  they  starting  anew  on  their  journeys 
came  to  the  place  where  the  Saviour  was  born.  The  renowned  well  is 
on  the  right  of  the  road,  near  the  convent  of  Mar-Elias  of  the  Greek 

Church. 

EACHEL'S  TOMB. 

The  next  place  of  special  historical  importance  is  the  "  Tomb  of 
Rachel."  The  present  building  standing  over  the  tomb  is  not  ancient ; 
it  may  be  that  a  portion  of  its  foundation  is,  but  the  structure  is  com- 
paratively modern.  The  genuineness  of  the  tomb,  as  being  identical 
with  the  burial-place  of  Rachel,  is  generally  conceded  by  the  most 
stubborn  critics,  who  have  examined  into  the  legality  of  the  claims  of 
those  who  identified  it.  It  is  a  small  building  with  a  dome  or  oval  top, 
very  much  the  shape  of  an  old-fashioned  bake  oven.  The  tomb  is  rever- 
enced by  Jews,  Christians,  and  Moslems  alike,  all  of  whom  look  upon 
it  as  a  place  of  sacred  memory.  The  following  we  copy  for  the 
enlightenment  of  those  who  may  be  in  search  of  more  information  as 
to  the  tomb :  "  The  original  building  was  opened  with  four  arcades 
supporting  the  dome.  The  arcades,  however,  have  been  filled  up 
except  at  the  east,  where  a  second  chamber  has  been  added.  The 
square  building  measures  twenty-three  feet  each  side,  the  arches  having 
a  span  of  ten  feet.  The  height  of  the  walls  is  twenty  feet,  and  the 
dome  is  ten  feet  higher.  The  east  chamber  is  twenty-three  feet 
long  by  thirteen  feet  wide.  A  covered  court  with  a  window,  and 
Mihrab  (praying  niche)  on  the  south,  and  a  double  window  on 
the  east,  and  measuring  twenty-three  feet  square,  is  situated  at  the  east 
end  ;  it  is  used  as  a  praying  place  by  the  Moslems.  The  inner  chambers 
are  locked  and  the  key  kept  by  the  Jews ;  here  they  pray  every  Friday. 
A  modern  cenotaph  stands  immediately  under  the  dome."  (Murray's 
Hand-Book.)  The  Jews  have  charge  of  this  tomb,  and  they  appre- 
ciate it  most  dearly,  as  there  are  but  few  historical  places  in  Palestine 
they  are  permitted  to  control.     Here  they  meet  each  Friday  to  pray. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  165 

The  walls  of  the  building  are  much  defaced,  caused  by  the  pilgrims 
and  other  devotees,  who  cling  to  the  tradition  that  the  spirit  of  Rachel 
visits  her  tomb,  and  is  active  in  granting  the  prayei-s  of  the  faithful 
who  implore  her  agency.  There  are  many  who  have  but  one  oppor- 
tunity in  this  life  to  visit  this  ancient  resting-place  of  Jacob's  second  wife, 
and  believing  she  is  busily  engaged  in  answering  petitions,  they,  there- 
fore, scribble  their  prayers  on  the  wall  indulging  the  hope  she  may  see 
them.  This  is  a  custom  of  long  standing  in  Palestine  and  all  the 
sacred  places  where  it  is  allowed  have  almost  numberless  prayers 
written  upon  their  walls.  Just  a  few  steps  south  of  the  tomb,  the  road 
forks,  and  the  main  road  to  Hebron  is  direct,  and  that  to  Bethlehem 
is  on  the  left.  From  this  point  to  the  little  town  so  very  unworthy  of 
historic  mention,  before  the  birth  of  our  Lord,  is  only  about  one  mile 

to  the  southeast. 

WELL  OF  DAVID. 

The  road  is  not  in  good  condition,  and  the  horses  must  go  slow. 
Just  as  the  outskirts  of  the  town  are  entered,  the  well  of  David  can  be 
seen  by  any  one  who  will  take  the  pains  to  go  to  it.  It  is  located  on 
the  left  of  the  road  in  a  small  open  space,  which  is  entered  through  a 
narrow  and  difficult  pass.  This  well  is  regarded,  both  by  tradition 
and  the  best  evidence  obtained  by  investigators,  to  be  identical  with 
the  well  '■  at  the  gate,"  the  water  of  which  David  so  eagerly  longed 
for  while  he  was  in  the  cave  of  Adullam,  and  three  of  his  valiant  men 
having  heard  his  ardent  wish  put  their  life  in  peril  that  his  desire 
might  be  gratified.  The  well  is  rock-hewn  and  deep ;  the  water  is 
cold  and  very  pleasant  to  drink,  but  care  should  be  taken  by  strangers 
not  to  'drink  more  than  two  or  three  swallows,  as  the  free  use  of  it  is 
apt  to  make  one  sick  ;  my  own  experience  of  freely  drinking  from  it  has 
admonished  me  to  give  the  warning  against  its  free  use.  I  would 
advise  travelers  who  may  visit  the  well  to  be  strictly  cautious,  and 
drink  but  little,  no  matter  how  thirsty  they  may  be.  If  I  did  not  give 
this  advice,  I  should  feel  that  a  grave  duty  had  been  neglected.  Those 
who  live  immediately  adjoining  the  well  are  ever  alert,  and  when  a 
traveler  comes  up,  they  will  run  with  a  glass  or  some  other  vessel  for 
him  to  have  a  drink.  Of  course  they  expect  to  be  compensated  for 
their  kindness,  and  are  seldom  disappointed.  It  is  highly  probable 
that  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  given  from  time  to  time  by  the 
many  visitors,  for  the  water  from  the  well  "at  the  gate."  If  before 
entering  the  town  the  traveler  will  halt  and  take  a  survey  of  the  land- 
scape, and  the  country  round  about,  he  will  call  to  mind  much  of  the 
history  of  the  far  distant  past.     He  may  think  of  Xaomi  wending  her 


166  THE   LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

way  home  in  poverty  and  distress,  bereaved  of  her  affectionate  husband 
and  two  loving  sous,  in  company  with  Ruth,  her  widowed  daughter-in- 
law,  who  would  not  forsake  her  in  her  distress.  And  should  he  look 
upon  the  fields,  on  either  side  the  way,  in  which  the  husbandman  is 
gathering  the  beautiful  products  of  his  labor,  he  will  doubtless  remem- 
ber the  womanly  Ruth,  who  in  meekness  and  great  thankfulness 
followed  the  reapers  of  Boaz  gleaning  in  one  of  these  fields.  And  such 
was  her  loneliness  and  winning  demeanor,  she  captured  the  heart  of 
Boaz,  whose  love  and  tenderness  for  her  were  inexpressible,  and  in  a 
short  time  afterwards  became  his  wife,  also  the  grandmother  of  David, 
the  ancestor  of  Christ.  He  may  also  see  a  shepherd  coming  along 
having  a  flock  of  sheep  behind  him ;  he  will  make  some  kind  of  noise 
as  if  speaking  to  them;  they  follow  close  after  him  without  turning  to 
the  right  or  left.  This  scene  is  a  forcible  reminder  of  the  saying  of 
our  Lord,  ''  My  sheep  know  my  voice,  and  they  follow  me."  Now  if 
one  should  take  time  to  go  to  one  of  the  fields  in  which  several  shep- 
herds are  attending  their  flocks,  it  might  puzzle  him  to  know  how  one 
shepherd  divides  his  sheep  from  another's.  But  the  difficulty  is  soon 
solved.  It  may  be  that  one  of  the  shepherds  wishes  to  go  to  another 
place  or  home,  and  he  will  make  the  sound  or  tone  of  voice  usually 
known  to  them,  and  immediately  all  his  sheep  gather  together  and 
follow  him.  The  sheep  are  so  well  trained  to  follow  and  come  when 
they  are  called,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  count  them  to  see  if  any 
remained  behind.  It  is  highly  probable  that  David  was  minding  his 
father's  flocks  in  one  of  these  fields,  when  Samuel  w^ent  to  Bethlehem 
to  anoint  him  the  future  king  of  Israel,  and  somewhere  in  these  regions 
round  about,  while  the  young  shepherd  was  looking  toward  heaven 
in  deep  meditation,  he  sang  his  nocturnal  song,  which  has  been  prayer- 
fully repeated  by  millions  of  the  blood-washed  army :  "  The  heavens 
declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament  showeth  forth  his  handi- 
work." 2  Saml.  xxiii.  15-17;  1  Chron.  ii.  15-19.  The  stranger 
having  meditated  upon  these  events,  is  prepared  to  enter  the  heart 
of  the  town  where  other  scenes  will  further  refresh  his  mind  con- 
cerning its  historical  importance.  Before  entering  the  shepherd 
fields  just  east  of  Bethlehem,  other  important  events  may  be  profit- 
ably contemplated.  He  will  call  to  mind  that  somewhere  here 
within  the  limits  of  my  immediate  surroundings,  David,  the  grandson 
of  Ruth,  was  born  and  reared,  on  some  of  those  glens.  On  the  out- 
side he  fought  with  a  bear  and  a  lion  and  slew  them.  From  this  town 
he  went  in  the  strength  of  God  and  met  Goliath,  the  Gathite,  and  won 
a  triumphant  victory  for  Israel.  Should  the  stranger  take  a  few 
moments'  walk  to  the  southeastern  terminus  of  the  town,  he  will  see 


FEOM  JEKUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  167 

just  beyond  him  the  fields  in  which  the  shepherds  were  watching  their 
flocks  on  the  early  morning,  the  angels  of  the  Lord  descended  and 
informed  them  of  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer.  Having  finished  his  medi- 
tations and  observations  of  the  many  places  and  events  referred  to, 
the  stranger  may  with  great  benefit  turn  to  the  scenes  connected  with 
the  advent  of  our  Lord.  But  before  we  proceed  to  examine  those 
places,  especially  referring  to  the  history  of  our  Lord  in  His  infancy,  it 
is  proper  that  a  historical  sketch  of  this  little  town  should  be  noted. 
The  ancient  name  of  Bethlehem  was  Ephratah,  Ephrath,  which  means 
fruitful  (1  Saml.  xxvi. ;  1  Kings  ii. ;  Matt.  i-v. ;  Ruth  ii.) ;  it  is 
first  mentioned  in  connection  with  Rachel's  death,  and  spoken  of 
again  in  the  narrative  of  Ruth  and  Boaz,  in  which  it  is  called 
Bethlehem  Judah,  to  distinguish  it  from  Bethlehem  in  the  territory 
of  the  tribe  of  Zebulon.  ItAvas  called  the  "City  of  David"  in  honor 
of  him  after  Samuel  anointed  him  to  be  the  second  king  of  Israel. 
It  was  not  considered  an  important  place  until  after  the  birth  of  our 
Lord  ;  but  since  that  auspicious  event,  it  grew  rapidly,  both  in  size  and 
popularity,  and  became  more  prominent  after  the  church  of  the  Holy 
Nativity  was  built,  and  thousands  of  adoring  pilgrims  visited  there 
every  year.  Bethlehem  is  a  Christian  town  containing  about  seven 
thousand  inhabitants,  of  whom  about  thirty-five  hundred  are  members 
of  the  Latin  Church,  twenty-five  hundred  belong  to  the  Greek  Church, 
about  eight  hundred  are  Armenians,  and  the  remainder  are  Protestants. 
As  strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  is  not  a  Mohammedan  in  the  town  ; 
although  Jerusalem,  which  is  only  six  miles  away,  is  one  of  the  INIoslem 
strongholds.  It  is  noteworthy  to  state  that  there  seem  to  have  been 
no  special  attractions  in  Bethlehem  for  our  Lord  after  He  left  there  in 
His  infancy.  It  may  be  to  many  when  considering  the  natural  influ- 
ence the  place  of  birth  has  over  mankind,  a  wonder  why  He  mani- 
fested no  disposition  to  visit  the  home  of  His  childhood  once,  at  least, 
especially  when  He  so  often  came  up  to  Jerusalem  and  Bethany,  and 
other  places  not  far  away.     Gen.  ii. ;  Gen.  viii.  7. 

It  is  not  recorded  that  our  Lord  ever  visited  Bethlehem,  and  it  is 
presumable.  He  did  not  see  it  again  after  His  parents  took  Him  to 
Nazareth.  It  may  be  there  was  nothing  to  do  more  than  had  been 
done  during  His  short  sojourn.  The  message  the  angels  brought,  the 
narrative  of  the  shepherds,  the  visit  of  the  wise  men  from  the  east,  and 
the  mysterious  flight  of  Joseph  with  Jesus  and  His  mother,  were  evi- 
dences strong  enough  to  arouse  the  whole  town  to  embrace  their  Saviour 
and  King.  It  should  be  remembered,  Christ  did  not  come  to  earth  on 
a  visit,  but  on  business ;  and  He  never  visited  a  place  except  upon  such 
matters  of  business  as  strictly  accorded  with  His  divine  mission.     Ever 


168  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

feeling  deeply  impressed  with  the  burden  of  His  responsibility,  He 
could  spend  no  time  except  in  those  places  where  it  was  absolutely 
needful  He  should  go.  His  duration  was  short  on  earth,  and  must  be 
spent  to  the  very  best  advantage  to  the  world.  On  this  account,  Jesus 
worked  hard  all  the  while,  and  found  no  opportunity  to  pay  the  friends 
of  Bethlehem  a  visit,  simply  to  see  the  place  of  His  birth.  If  our  posi. 
tion  is  properly  taken,  we  have  clearly  shown  the  mission  of  Christ. 
It  demanded  His  untiring  labor  from  the  time  He  began  to  be  active 
until  He  returned  home.  But  the  influence  He  left  in  Bethlehem  has 
been  working  as  leaven  in  the  three  measures  of  meal. 

Bethlehem  stands  on  a  high  hill,  and  is  estimated  to  be  at  least  three 
hundred  feet  higher  than  Mount  Zion.  It  is  properly  called  "the 
House  of  Bread,"  for  the  hills  and  valleys  are  clothed  with  olive 
groves,  vineyards,  fig  orchards,  and  other  fruits,  all  of  which  yield 
abundantly  and  fill  the  markets.  The  wheat,  barley,  and  other  pro- 
ducts thrive  richly.  The  people  are  generally  employed,  and  are  not 
seen  following  travelers  through  the  town  by  the  dozens  crying  "  back- 
sheesh," every  step  they  take,  as  in  most  of  the  places  in  Palestine.  It 
is  noteworthy,  that  in  every  place  where  the  Christian  religion  prevails, 
beggars  are  fewer,  and  strangers  sustain  but  little  if  any  annoyance. 
The  Christian  training  of  the  Bethlehemites  has  given  them  a  physical 
and  moral  bearing,  very  different  from  their  Moslem  neighbors,  in  other 
towns  and  cities  round  about  them.  The  complexion  of  the  females  is 
fair ;  their  dress,  although  Oriental  in  style,  is  neat  and  clean  ;  and 
their  head-dress  differs  from  those  in  any  other  part  of  the  country. 
They  are  generally  busy  at  something  of  benefit  to  themselves  and  the 
community.  When  not  employed  with  domestic  duties,  they  manu- 
facture fancy  articles,  and  make  relics  out  of  pearls,  olive-wood,  cherry- 
stones and  sea-stones ;  these  they  find  ready  sale  for  at  the  relic  stores, 
and  to  tourists.  As  soon  as  it  is  known  that  strangers  are  approaching 
town,  the  young  men  who  deal  in  souvenirs  hasten  to  meet  them,  pre- 
sent their  business  cards,  and  endeavor  to  secure  their  promise  to  give 
them  a  call,  and  buy  from  them  whatever  goods  they  wish.  It  is  of  no 
use  to  tell  them  you  don't  want  anything,  for  unless  you  are  really 
without  money,  it  will  be  next  to  an  impossibility  to  leave  Bethlehem 
without  purchasing  a  number  of  articles.  They  have  an  eye  to  busi- 
ness, and  know  how  to  display  their  goods  to  make  them  inviting  and 
salable.  But  few,  if  any,  leave  the  town  without  making  a  purchase. 
But  the  great  attraction  in  Bethlehem  is  the  church  of  the  "  Holy 
Nativity."  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  sacred  sites  in  Palestine. 
It  is  said  by  Jerome,  who  lived  in  the  town  a  short  while  after  the 


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FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  169 

erection  of  the  cliurcli,  "  It  was  really  built  upon  the  site  of  the  khan 
or  inn  at  Bethlehem."  It  is  also  known  that  these  khans,  situated  on 
great  caravan  highways,  were  always  stationed  (as  is  the  case  at  the 
present  day)  at  certain  distances  as  nearly  as  possible,  and  retained 
their  respective  positions  from  one  century  to  another  ;  therefore,  the 
ancient  inn  at  Bethlehem,  in  the  time  of  Jerome,  was  known  to  have 
been  located  on  the  grounds  upon  which  the  church  of  the  "  Holy 
Nativity  "  was  built ;  and  on  this  same  spot  occurred  the  mysterious 
birth  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  on  the  night  Joseph  and  the  Virgin 
lodged  there. 

Justin  Martyr,  who  wrote  concerning  it  in  the  second  century,  said : 
"  The  stable  of  this  inn  was  a  rock-cut-cave."  These  ancient  rock-cut 
stables  are  by  no  means  uncommon  in  Palestine  ;  several  of  them  have 
of  late  been  found  on  Mount  Carmel  and  in  different  parts  of  Galilee, 
and  will  remain  there  to  testify  to  travelers  their  ancient  usefulness 
for  many  ages  to  come.  It  is  common  even  to  this  day  to  have  stables 
situated  under  the  first  floor  of  inns,  both  in  Palestine  and  Syria. 
Those  who  go  up  to  Jerusalem  from  Joppa  by  the  old  highway,  usually 
halt  at  Babel-Wad  for  luncheou,  in  a  small  inn  by  the  wayside.  Here 
the  traveler  will  find  a  genuine  old-time  stable,  just  under  the  main 
floor.  There  is  a  much  stronger  illustration  of  the  Bethlehem  stables 
at  Sidon  ;  when  the  upper  portion  of  the  house  is  full,  the  people 
frequently  spend  the  night  in  the  stable  below  with  the  horses,  and 
many  prefer  lodging  there  -for  the  sake  of  cheapness.  It  may  be  seen 
from  these  references,  it  was  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  for  people  to 
sleep  in  stables  in  Palestine  and  the  circumjacent  countries.  This  was 
the  cause  why  Joseph  and  his  espoused  lodged  in  the  stable.  "  There 
was  no  room  in  the  inn." 

CHURCH  OF  THE  NATIVITY. 

The  church  that  has  been  substituted  for  the  tavern,  stands  in  front 
of  a  large  open  space  which  is  used  for  a  "  market  place,"  and  for  a 
camping-ground  for  the  market-men  and  merchants  coming  in  from 
the  country.  Every  day  dozens  of  poorly-dressed,  and  half-savage- 
looking  "  Bedouins,"  congregate  there  with  tents  and  luggage  and 
remain  sometimes  through  the  day.  The  entrance  to  the  church  is 
from  the  space  in  which  these  wild-looking  men  are  lurking.  On 
approaching  the  door,  travelers  are  followed  by  a  number  of  men  and 
boys,  who  vie  with  each  other  for  the  right  of  holding  the  horses,  hoping 
thereby  to  earn  a  little  backsheesh.  They  are  so  persistent  in  their 
endeavors   for   the  privilege,   the   dragoman   is   often    compelled    to 


170  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

abruptly  dismiss  them  to  restore  peace.  The  entrance  door  to  the 
church  is  about  four  feet  high ;  it  opens  into  a  vestibule  that  is  very- 
gloomy  ;  this  is  the  entrance  to  the  spacious  and  beautifully-decorated 
building.  The  church  proper  stands  inside  a  monastery  which  belongs 
to  the  Latins,  Greeks  and  Armenians  alike ;  each  having  their 
separate  apartments,  because  the  brethren  do  not  by  any  means  "  dwell 
together  in  unity,"  but  entertain  the  most  hostile  feelings  towards  each 
other.  The  church  is  free  to  all  Christians  to  visit,  and,  if  desired, 
devotional  services  may  be  held  without  interference  in  the  open 
chambers,  but  no  one,  not  officially  constituted,  would  be  allowed 
to  officiate  at  the  altars.  There  are  evidences  at  times  of  encroach- 
ments, both  in  the  interior  and  outside  the  church.  Much  of  its 
embellishments  have  faded  and  crumbled  off,  so  that  in  several  places 
the  walls  are  very  much  defaced.  It  was  built  in  the  year  three  hundred 
and  twenty-seven,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the  oldest  Christian  church  in 
the  world.  There  are  different  opinions  as  to  who  caused  it  to  be  built. 
Some  think  Constantine  the  Great,  founded  it ;  others  say  it  was 
erected  by  the  order  of  his  Christian  mother,  the  Empress  Helena,  who 
in  the  day  of  her  energy  and  zeal  for  the  progress  of  Christianity  in 
Palestine,  built  many  churches,  chapels  and  convents  throughout  the 
country ;  and  from  the  weight  of  evidence,  it  seems  highly  probable, 
she  built  this  memorial  basilica  at  Bethlehem  over  the  rock-hewn 
manger  of  "  Him  who  was  born  King  of  the  Jews." 

The  measurement  of  the  church  is  estimated  to  be  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  long,  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  wide.  It  has  five  rows  of 
marble  columns,  some  of  which  are  said  to  have  been  used  in  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  were  transported  here  for  the  use  of  this 
memorial  building.  The  chapel  of  the  "  Holy  Nativity  "  (one  of  the 
basement  chambers)  is  a  rocky  cave,  about  twenty  feet  below  the  main 
floor  of  the  church,  which  is  approached  by  two  flights  of  stairs.  It  is 
low  and  dark,  so  that  lamps  are  kept  burning  day  and  night ;  in  addi- 
tion to  the  lighted  lamps,  each  visitor  is  furnished  with  a  candle  to 
assist  him  through  those  dark  places,  where  there  are  no  lamps.  The 
chapel  is  thirty-eight  feet  long,  and  eleven  feet  wide.  In  the  pavement, 
may  be  seen  a  marble  slab  having  a  silver  star  in  the  centre  ;  this 
is  the  ti'aditional  spot  where  our  Lord  was  born,  having  the  following 
inscription  placed  around  it:  "Hie  de  virgine  Maria  Jesus Christus 
natus  est  " — Here  Jesus  Christ  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  This 
grotto  is  generally  conceded,  by  those  who  have  made  exhaustive 
investigations,  to  be  identical  with  the  site  of  the  manger  in  which  the 
Lord  Jesus  was  born.     On  this  account,  thousands  of  devoted  Chris- 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  171 

tians  of  all  lands  reverently  bow  at  this  holy  shrine,  and  pour  forth 
floods  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  the  Lord  Most  High,  for  the  gift 
of  Jesus,  His  Son,  who  consented  to  be  born  of  a  woman,  in  a  lowly 
stable,  and  in  a  rock-hewn  manger,  for  dying  men.  Never  can  the 
writer  forget  the  feeling  of  profound  gratitude  that  pervaded  his  heart, 
the  day  he  knelt  by  the  stone  that  marks  the  site  of  the  place  where 
Christ  first  entered  our  world  in  flesh.  There  is  a  tradition,  circulated 
extensively  among  the  people,  stating  that  the  manger  was  found  and 
taken  to  Rome,  and  placed  in  the  church  of  St.  Maria  IMaggiore.  Thia 
is  one  of  the  many  stories  that  have  but  little  weight  among  the  people 
at  large.  There  is  also  an  altar  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  the  wise 
men,  called  the  altar  of  the  Magi.  It  designates  the  place  where  those 
eastern  seers  stood,  when  they  presented  their  gifts  to  their  infant  king. 
There  is  another  apartment  called  "The  Chapel  of  Joseph,"  and  is 
supposed  to  be  the  place  to  which  he  retired  when  the  Saviour  was 
born  ;  and  where  "  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  appeared,  and  commanded 
him  to  take  the  young  Child  and  His  mother  and  flee  into  Egypt." 
The  Altar  of  Innocence  is  dedicated  to  the  memory,  it  is  said,  of 
twenty  thousand  male  children  who  were  murdered  by  the  decree  of 
King  Herod,  when  he  vainly  sought  the  life  of  Jesus.  There  are 
several  impressive  paintings  suspended  over  and  about  the  altar,  repre- 
senting the  inhuman  massacre.  There  is  not  the  least  doubt  in  my 
mind,  that  some  of  the  chapels  and  altars  are  fictitious,  and  gotten  up 
upon  mere  conjecture,  as  many  so-called  sacred  places  in  Palestine  are, 
by  many  who  have  been  too  ambitious  in  locating  the  places  where 
events  took  place  of  which  the  Bible  gives  account,  or  by  some  per- 
sons who  had  no  conscientious  scruples  as  to  veracity.  It  is  a  common 
occurrence  in  Palestine,  both  with  the  Greeks  and  Latins,  to  fix  upon 
places  as  genuine  sacred  places,  without  real  foundation.  There  are 
many  places  purporting  to  be  authentic,  which  cannot  be  satisfactorily 
established.  But  it  seems  to  be  the  general  opinion,  that  the  place 
designated  as  the  site  of  our  Lord's  birth  is  at  least  not  far  from  the 
place,  if  not  identical  with  it.  It  was  accepted  as  such,  as  early  as  the 
time  of  Justin  Martyr,  and  it  must  be  conceded  that  at  such  an  early 
date  accurate  accounts  could  be  given.  But  one  thing  about  which 
there  cannot  be  a  shadow  of  doubt,  and  naturally  gives  great  comfort 
to  the  visitor  is,  he  is  confident  that  while  walking:  from  one  recess  to 
another  through  this  ancient  grotto,  it  is  the  identical  inn  in  which  the 
Son  of  God  was  born,  and  somewhere  within  its  rocky  confines  is  the 
sacred  spot  where  the  blessed  virgin  brought  Him  into  the  world. 

There  is  another  marvelous  place  in  this  cave,  or  rock-hewn  inn, 


172  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

and  that  is  the  Chapel  of  Jerome.  It  is  a  rough  chamber  hewn  in 
the  solid  rock,  and  is  known  beyond  doubt,  to  be  the  room  occupied  by 
that  most  eminent  and  self-sacrificing  follower  of  the  Saviour  for  thirty 
years,  who  met  the  end  of  his  life  full  of  good  deeds  and  works.  Here 
he  prayed,  examined  and  studied ;  here  he  fasted,  mourned  and  wrote, 
that  he  might  be  instrumental  in  making  the  world  better  and  rekindle 
the  sacred  flame  in  Palestine,  that  it  might  burn  from  age  to  age,  until 
every  heart  should  be  opened  to  receive  the  Saviour's  love,  and  every 
knee  should  bow  at  His  Holy  Shrine,  Here  he  gathered  around  him 
his  devoted  followers  in  the  small  communities  which  afterwards  formed 
the  beginning  of  Conventual  life  in  Palestine,  to  instruct  in  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Word  of  God.  Here  he  wrote  letters  and  commentaries 
and  sent  them  forth  to  the  world.  These  chapels  or  grottoes  have  been 
sources  of  much  contention  and  bitterness  among  the  rival  religious 
sects,  who  have  specific  apartments  under  their  custody,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  interposition  of  the  civil  authorities,  there  would  have 
been  on  several  occasions  very  disastrous  results.  These  people  have 
had  dangerous  outbreaks,  it  is  said,  simply  on  account  of  a  few  inches 
of  wall,  or  a  fractional  portion  of  one  of  the  altars,  which  in  some  of 
the  rooms  is  so  divided  as  to  devote  a  portion  of  it  to  the  express  use 
of  each  denomination  :  they  are  generally  divided  by  a  heavy  curtain 
which  may  be  moved  at  will,  so  as  to  encroach  upon  the  other  officials, 
and  when  this  is  supposed  to  be,  or  is  really  done,  the  act  has  always 
been  the  harbinger  of  a  row.  Much  trouble  has  occurred  on  several 
occasions  about  opening  and  shutting  the  doors.  It  is  currently  cir- 
culated that  such  inconsiderable  matters  have  been  so  sternly  rebuked 
by  the  parties  who  were  dissatisfied,  or  felt  to  have  been  imposed 
upon,  that  they  have  nearly  precipitated  a  war  upon  the  people.  It 
is  an  appalling  outrage  that  it  has  become  necessary,  in  order  to  protect 
life,  and  preserve  nominal  peace,  that  a  guard  of  Turkish  soldiers  is 
stationed  inside  the  church  of  the  "  Holy  Nativity,"  to  prohibit  the 
Christian  priests  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  religious  sects,  from  doing 
violence  to  each  other.  Several  times  shameful  outbreaks  have  occurred 
and  much  blood  spilt,  and  lives  have  been  lost  within  the  precincts  of 
the  venerable  church  that  marks  the  site  where  "The  Prince  of  Peace " 
was  born,  by  those  who  claim  to  be  His  followers,  and  the  higher  lights 
whose  life  is  consecrated  to  the  work  of  illuminating  this  dark  world, 
that  men  may  find  their  way  to  God.  It  is  certain  that  if  the  Lord 
Jesus  should  sit  in  their  midst  as  with  His  disciples  and  the  multitudes 
on  the  mount.  He  would  not  say  to  them,  "  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world." 
A  deep-seated  unfriendly  feeling  exists  between  the  Greek  and  Latin 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  173 

priests,  which  seems  to  be  impossible  to  exterminate.  Just  about  one 
mile  east  of  the  church  of  the  "  Holy  Nativity  "  is  the  shepherd's  field, 
enclosed  by  a  stone  fence  having  several  Olive  trees  in  it.  The  grotto 
of  the  shepherds  is  also  there  ;  it  belongs  to  the  Greeks  and  is  some- 
times called  the  chapel  of  the  shepherds.  It  is  evidently  of  compara- 
tive modern  date,  and  sometimes  services  have  been  conducted  in  it. 
On  entering  the  chapel  the  transition  is  so  sudden  and  marked,  it  is 
necessary  to  rest  the  eyes  for  a  while  so  as  to  allow  the  pupil  to 
expand  sufficiently  to  become  adapted  to  the  change,  because  of  the 
darkness  that  pervades  the  interior  of  the  building. 

This  chapel  marks  the  site  w^here  tradition  locates  the  shepherds 
watching  their  flocks,  when  they  saw  the  company  of  angels,  who  in- 
formed them  of  the  advent  of  Jesus  into  our  world.  There  is  but 
little  if  any  confidence  attached  to  the  genuineness  of  the  statement 
with  reference  to  the  exact  site  of  the  shepherds'  location  on  that 
memorable  morning,  or  that  those  men  used  to  rest  themselves  there, 
as  some  would  have  us  believe.  It  is  the  general  opinion  of  those 
who  have  made  investigations  of  the  place,  that  it  was  built  in  the 
time  of  the  crusaders,  who  were  distinguished  for  having  occupied 
every  historical  place  they  found,  and  built  either  a  chapel  or  convent 
to  perpetuate  its  memory.  But  it  is  firmly  believed  that  this  dark 
chapel  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  site  at  least,  where  the  heavenly 
messengers  came  and  for  the  first  time  proclaimed  "  peace  on  earth 
and  good  will  to  man."  The  olive  trees  are  generally  sought  by  trav- 
elers from  Christian  lands,  from  which  they  take  a  sprig  or  two  of 
leaves.  Every  one  who  has  heard  the  story  of  the  glorious  advent  of 
Our  Lord  and  Saviour,  knows  something  of  that  stupendous  event, 
and  notwithstanding  it  will  be  an  incomprehensible  mystery  down  to 
the  remotest  ages,  it  is  nevertheless  the  chiefest  of  the  sources  of  con- 
solation to  mankind  ;  and  when  one  avails  himself  of  the  opportunity 
to  visit  the  land  in  Avhich  the  Saviour  was  born,  and  many  of  the 
places  chiefly  connected  with  His  glorious  mission,  it  is  an  unspeakable 
gratification  to  him. 

THE  JOURNEY  FROM  NAZARETH. 

"When  Joseph  laid  aside  his  carpenter's  tools,  and  closed  the  door  of 
his  workshop  in  Nazareth,  and  left  home  with  the  virgin,  his  betrothed, 
in  obedience  to  the  Emperor's  mandate,  to  be  enrolled  for  taxation  in 
their  own  district  of  Bethlehem  Judea,  they  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
that  this  wonder  of  wonders  would  occur  before  they  returned  to  their 
home  in  the  far-away  hills  of  Galilee. 


174  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

It  was  God's  plan  tliat,  in  accordance  with  the  prophecy,  our  Lord 
should  be  born  in  Bethlehem,  and  so  ordered  it  in  His  mysterious 
arrangements  that  Joseph  should  start  with  the  virgin  mother,  so  that 
they  might  arrive  in  the  town  designated  for  the  miraculous  birth  of 
the  Messiah,  just  at  the  time  of  the  exj^iration  of  the  period  when  she 
should  be  delivered.  Joseph  fulfilled  two  decrees  in  going  up  to  the 
city  of  David  to  be  registered.  Csesar  Augustus,  who  was  the  first  of 
the  Roman  emperors,  demanded  that  a  uniform  taxation  should  be 
levied  upon  all  the  subjects  of  his  vast  dominion,  and  that  none  might 
escape,  he  decreed  that  each  person  should  be  enrolled  in  his  own 
district,  and  Joseph,  being  of  the  house  and  lineage  of  David,  went 
up  to  Bethlehem  according  to  law  to  be  registered,  and  thus,  as  a  loyal 
citizen,  fulfilled  the  decree  of  Csesar  Augustus,  his  earthly  monarch, 
and  inasmuch  as  Mary,  his  betrothed,  was  of  the  house  of  David,  he 
took  her  with  him,  and  while  there  the  days  were  accomplished  that 
she  should  be  delivered.  This  wonderful  event  fulfilled  the  decree  of 
the  Lord,  who  by  the  mouth  of  the  prophet  declared  that  Christ  should 
be  born  in  Bethlehem  Judsea. 

The  multitude  of  people  who  went  over  to  the  city  of  David 
in  compliance  with  the  decree  of  Csesar  Augustus,  were,  it  seems, 
in  advance  of  Joseph  and  Mary  ;  and  having  arrived  at  the  humble 
inn  first,  secured  every  available  room  and  bed  in  it.  Therefore,  they  were 
compelled  to  submit  to  a  resting-place  in  the  stable,  or  have  none  at  all. 
Just  a  little  longer  and  it  would  have  been  too  late  for  the  fulfillment 
of  the  event  at  Bethlehem.  But  God,  whose  purpose  cannot  be  over- 
ruled, knew  the  day  and  hour  to  start  Joseph  to  the  place  designated 
for  the  entrance  of  Christ  into  our  world. 

THE  ADVENT  OF  JESUS. 

When  Joseph  arrived  ]at  the  inn,  with  Mary,  his  espoused,  no  one 
sympathized  with  her  so  as  to  arrange  for  her  comfort.  But  if  there 
had  been  a  prophet  of  the  Most  High,  in  whom  the  people  confided  at 
the  little  inn,  and  if  he  had  told  them  (Luke  ii.  1-5  ;  Matt:  i.  25) 
Mary  was  the  vessel  God  had  chosen  to  bring  the  Redeemer  into  the 
world,  and  that  her  coming  on  to  little  Bethlehem  would  not  only 
dignify  it  with  her  own  presence,  but  it  would  be  sujiremely  exalted 
because  she  would  be  delivered  of  the  Holy  One,  of  whom  Moses  and 
the  prophets  wrote,  and  it  was  important  that  suitable  arrangements 
at  once  be  made  for  her  comfort.  I  venture  the  assertion, 
that  every  one  who  had  procured  a  room  would  have  been 
ready  to  vacate  for  the  accommodation  and  comfort  of  the 
Virgin    Mother.      But     the  birth-place   of  Jesus    was    one    of   the 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  175 

most  humble  that  could  be  found  ;  yet  He  was  willing  to  become  meek 
and  lowly,  that  men  might  be  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Father. 
It  may  be  seen  that  God  causes  men  to  carry  out  His  plans  when  they 
have  no  intention  or  disposition  to  do  so.  It  had  been  prophesied  seven 
hundred  years  prior,  that  Christ  should  be  born  in  Bethlehem ;  and 
inasmuch  as  Joseph  was  a  poor  carpenter  working  at  his  trade  over  in 
Galilee,  it  is  not  probable  he  would  have  laid  aside  his  work  to  go 
over  the  I'ugged  highway  up  there  unless  urged  by  indispensable  busi- 
ness ;  therefore,  Csesar  Augustus  became  the  efficient  instrument  in 
causing  Joseph  to  go  to  Bethlehem,  in  company  with  Mary,  just  in 
time  to  establish  the  fulfillment  of  the  words  of  the  prophet.  It  so 
happens  in  many  cases  that  men  even  attempt  to  thwart  the  purpose 
of  God's  work  and  His  wishes.  It  is  a  tremendous  truth,  although 
carelessly  observed,  that  "  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way."  To  illus- 
trate the  thought,  we  call  attention  to  the  conduct  of  Joseph's  brethren, 
who  resorted  to  extremely  criminal  measures  that  God's  purpose,  as 
indicated  by  their  brother's  dreams,  might  not  obtain  ;  but  they  were 
the  mediums  through  whom  the  ultimate  purposes  of  God  might  be 
effected.  It  is  also  further  demonstrated  in  the  dream  of  Pharaoh. 
It  was  important  that  Joseph  should  suffer,  that  in  the  time  when  his 
talents  were  expressly  needed,  he  would  come  from  his  prison-home,  to 
vtake  his  exalted  station  as  governor  of  Egypt.  That  he  might  attain 
to  the  position,  it  was  needful  that  the  king  should  dream  such  a  mys- 
terious dream  that  none  but  Joseph  could  unfold,  and  that  the  lineage 
through  which  Christ  should  come  might  be  preserved,  God  caused 
Ahasuerus  to  spend  a  sleepless  night,  and  to  wile  away  the  night- 
watches  by  listening  to  the  reading  of  the  book  of  record,  in  which 
was  found  the  disclosing  by  Mordecai  of  a  vicious  plot  concocted  by 
two  men  to  take  the  king's  life.  For  this  he  had  not  been  rewarded  • 
and  the  king  there  and  then  put  Mordecai  in  a  position  that  saved  his 
own  life,  and  all  the  people  who  had  been  doomed  to  death  by  Haman, 
The  case  of  Belshazzar  further  illustrates  the  evolution  of  God's  plans, 
which  were  mysteriously  hidden  from  human  observation.  When  no 
man  amongst  the  most  learned  of  his  kingdom  could  be  found  to  make 
known  his  dream,  Daniel  was  brought  before  the  king ;  he  made  known 
his  dream,  and  the  interpretation  of  it.  This  act  of  Daniel  promoted 
him  to  a  high  official  position,  and  revealed  the  supremacy  of  the  God 
of  heaven  and  earth ;  also,  ultimately  delivered  the  Jews  from  their 
captivity.  So  it  may  be  seen,  that  God  used  Caesar  as  an  instrument, 
in  fulfilling  His  decree  and  establishing  His  truth ;  for  in  serving  his 
own  mission  he  also  served  the  end  of  his  Maker.     If  there  had  been 


176  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

general  information  given  as  to  the  exact  time  of  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah,  how  He  should  come,  and  where  He  should  first  appear,  the 
plan  of  the  Almighty,  as  to  the  place  of  His  birth,  would  doubtless  have 
been  carried  out  diflferently.  Joseph  and  Mary  would  have  gone  up 
to  Bethlehem  without  being  urged  by  the  decree  of  Caesar  ;  and  the 
multitude,  instead  of  going  up  to  be  registered,  would  have  gone  to  the 
city  of  David  to  be  ready  to  shout  an  enthusiastic  welcome  to  the  King 
of  kings,  who  had  come  to  redeem  them.  They  would  have  been  as 
eager  to  worship  Him,  as  were  the  wise  men  who  came  from  their 
eastern  home  to  bow  at  His  feet,  and  present  their  gifts  as  a  token  of 
their  admiration  for  Him. 

But  such  a  demonstration  would  not  have  been  consistent  with  the 
prophecy  concerning  Him ;  also,  it  would  have  been  an  open  door  for 
His  enemies  to  find  Him.  But  whatever  the  results  may  have  been, 
the  wisdom  and  prudence  of  Mary,  who  w^as  guided  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  kept  the  whole  matter  from  public  attention.  She  left  the  dis- 
closing of  the  wonderful  advent  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  heavenly  song- 
sters, who  thronged  the  firmament  of  the  Bethlehem  pasture,  and  to 
the  wise  men  of  the  East,  who  came  over  in  search  of  Him.  They 
broke  the^news  and  held  the  first  jubilee  over  the  matchless  event. 
From  these  shining  messengers  the  jubilating  song  started  to  enthuse 
the  world ;  and  from  the  morning  of  their  memorable  visit  to  the 
shepherds  of  Bethlehem  (who  were  blessed  above  all  other  men  on 
earth,  in  that  they  heard  with  their  own  ears  a  chorus  chanted  by 
angels,  and  saw  them  with  their  eyes  while  they  rested  in  the  firma- 
ment upon  expanded  wings,  and  sang  as  if  Heaven  in  its  fulness  had 
come  down  to  earth),  it  has  cheered  mankind.  When  the  men  had 
regained  their  composure,  how  edifying  muijt  have  been  the  occasion, 
and  how  loth  they  must  have  been  to  have  them  leave  ! 

SOLOMON'S  POOLS. 

Three  miles  from  Bethlehem,  a  little  to  the  northwest,  are  situated 
the  renowned  pools  of  King  Solomon.  These  reservoirs  are  believed 
to  have  been  constructed  when  the  man,  whose  name  they  bear,  was 
king  over  Israel,  and  remain  until  this  time  to  assist  in  perpetuating 
the  memory,  and  genius,  of  those  workmen  w4io  lived  nearly  three 
thousand  years  ago.  There  are  three  of  these  pools,  arranged  in  a  line 
along  an  elevation,  one  a  little  higher  than  the  other,  and  supplied 
from  four  springs.  One  of  them  has  a  vault  built  over  it;  this  is  the 
principal  one  of  the  four,  and  from  it  the  pools  receive  their  main  sup- 
ply.    It  is  the  general  conclusion  of  those  who  have  made  investiga. 


FKOxM  JERUSALEM  TO  BETHLEHEM.  177 

tions,  these  pools  were  built  especially  to  liave  a  larger  and  more 
healthy  supply  of  water  furnished  in  Jerusalem.  There  are  yet  to  be 
seen  remnants  of  the  original  aqueduct,  exposed  above  ground  within 
the  neighborhood  of  the  pools.  The  conduit  was  composed  of  stones ; 
each  piece  is  about  three  feet  long,  and  about  two  feet  thick,  having  a 
hole  chiseled  through  the  middle,  and  so  shaped  at  its  end  as  to  allow 
it  to  fit  in  the  piece  to  which  it  is  attached.  It  is  an  ingenious  display 
of  mechanical  skill,  and  was  in  all  probability  done  by  the  workmen 
from  Tyre,  or  conducted  by  them,  at  least,  as  they  did  the  most  of  Sol- 
omon's artistic  work.  It  would  be  in  our  times  a  very  costly  contract ; 
but  in  those  ancient  times,  when  labor  was  done  at  a  very  meagre  cost, 
and  often  just  for  what  the  workmen  ate,  large  contracts  could  be  ac- 
complished for  a  small  sura  of  money.  It  is  true  even  of  our  present 
age,  that  men  in  the  far  eastern  parts  of  the  old  countries,  especially  in 
Asia  and  Asia  ^Minor,  work  for  from  seven  to  seventeen  cents  a  day  ; 
and  hundreds  of  them,  I  have  been  credibly  informed,  work  just  for 
something  to  eat.  On  such  cheap  bases  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  and 
the  mammoth  palaces  and  monuments  of  India  were  constructed. 
Taking  this  view  of  the  manner  men  were  compensated  for  their  labor, 
there  can  be  no  wonder,  that  such  giant  structures  were  built  for  the 
use  of  kings  in  antique  times ;  and  it  may  be  understood  how  Solomon 
could  so  elaborately  surround  himself  with  every  convenience,  compe- 
tent to  make  him  happy.  The  pools  which  Solomon  caused  to  be 
built  nine  miles  away  from  Jerusalem,  with  the  acqueduct  connection, 
would,  in  the  present  age,  tax  the  financial  ability  of  the  Turkish 
government,  to  have  it  done  with  the  same  kind  of  material  and  im- 
plements, at  the  cost  of  mechanical  labor  in  America.  These  pools  are  so 
constructed,  that  the  bottom  of  each  is  higher  than  the  top  of  the  one 
next  to  it.  The  reason  for  this  was  to  collect  as  great  a  quantity  of 
water  as  possible.  They  are  in  such  a  splendid  state  of  preservation, 
that  it  seems  difficult  to  be  persuaded  they  were  constructed  in  the 
time  of  King  Solomon.  But  as  to  the  fact  of  their  being  erected  in 
his  day  and  by  his  order,  there  seems  no  reasonable  cause  of  doubt ; 
but  it  is  the  opinion  of  many,  they  were  repaired,  by  order  of  Pontius 
Pilate.  The  first  or  upper  pool  is  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long, 
two  hundred  and  twenty-nine  feet  wide,  at  the  western  terminus,  and 
twenty-five  feet  deep  at  the  eastern  end.  The  middle  pool  is  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  from  the  upper  one,  and  is  four  hundred  and 
twenty-three  feet  long,  thirty-nine  feet  deep  at  the  eastern  end,  two 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  feet  wide  at  its  west  end,  and  two  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  on  the  east  end.  The  lower  pool  is  two  hundred  and 
12 


178  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

forty-eight  feet  from  the  middle  one ;  this  is  the  most  spacious  of  all 
and  commands  the  greatest  attention.  It  is  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  feet  long,  and  is  fifty  feet  deep  at  its  eastern  terminus,  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-eight  feet  wide  at  the  west  end,  two  hundred  and  seven 
feet  at  the  eastern  end.  This  lower  pool  supplied  the  aqueduct  that 
conducted  water  by  the  east  side  of  the  hills,  past  Bethlehem,  and 
onward  to  Jerusalem. 

That  these  reservoirs  and  aqueducts  have  an  antique  origin  is  sel- 
dom questioned,  by  the  most  critical  investigations,  notwithstanding 
there  is  no  direct  reference  to  them  either  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  or  in 
the  writings  of  Josephus.  It  is  the  opinion  of  some  of  those  who  have 
investigated  these  pools  and  the  country  immediately  circumjacent  to 
them,  they  are  identical  with  the  place  referred  to  in  the  declaration  of 
Solomon,  "  I  made  me  great  works,  I  planted  me  vineyards ;  I  made 
me  gardens  and  orchards,  and  I  planted  trees  in  them  of  all  kinds  of 
fruit ;  I  made  me  pools  of  water  to  water  therewith  the  wood  that 
bringeth  forth  trees." 

SOLOMON'S  GARDENS  AND  ORCHARDS. 

The  valley  just  below  the  pools  fully  accords  with  Solomon's  ex- 
pressions, and  is  even  to  the  present  very  beautiful  and  inviting  to 
look  upon  and  pass  through.  Not  far  from  the  pools  of  Solomon  is 
situated  in  a  narrow  valley,  a  little  village  called  Artas,  surrounded 
with  fine  gardens  and  trees,  and  several  ruins  of  ancient  bearing  here, 
and  there  strewn  about.  It  is  supposed  this  little  village  is  the  Ethom 
of  Solomon's  time ;  if  so,  he  used  to  take  daily  drives  from  Jerusalem 
to  these  gardens  and  orchards  in  the  early  morning,  to  refresh  himself, 
and  enjoy  the  fragrance  of  his  rich  and  handsomely  arranged  pleasure 
grounds.  It  is  thought  to  be  the  place  referred  to  in  Ecclesiastes. 
The  village  was  built  by  Rehoboam  when  he  built  fortifications  about 
Bethlehem. 

One  of  the  most  marvelous  places  in  Palestine,  and  one  that  should 
not  be  passed  unnoticed  by  any  traveler  from  abroad,  is  the  convent 
Mar  Saba.  It  is  situated  in  the  wild  and  dreary  wilderness  of  Judea, 
among  a  forest  of  rocks,  in  the  very  centre  of  extraordinary  solitude. 
The  route  from  Bethlehem  is  one  of  the  roughest  in  eastern  Palestine, 
and  vei'y  fatiguing  to  both  man  and  beast,  and  one  of  the  most  lonely 
roads  in  all  the  land.  After  passing  the  shepherd's  field,  just  east  of 
Bethlehem,  there  is  nothing  seen  to  interest  a  traveler  especially,  the 
entire  length  of  the  route ;  but  one  is  kept  busy  picking  his  way  over 
the  very  difficult  and  dangerous  pass,  lest  a  misfortune  might  occur 


FR0:M  JERUSALEM  TO  MAR-SABA.  179 

(Ecclesiastes  ii.  4,  5  ;  2  Chron.  xi.  6 ;  and  were  it  not  that  the  horses 
are  so  well  trained  to  these  rough  roads,  many  accidents  would  occur 
of  a  very  serious  and  even  fatal  character. 

SITE  OF  THE  CONVENT. 

The  convent  is  about  fourteen  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and  to  reach 
it,  one  must  travel  over  high  hills,  and  through  deep  valleys,  leading 
through  narrow  passes,  beside  which  high  massive  stones  project,  so 
that  in  niany  places  it  is  necessary  to  lift  your  feet  almost  even  with 
the  back  of  the  horse,  to  save  them  from  being  injured  by  some  of  the 
more  prominent  cragged  rocks  along  the  paths.  It  frequently  occurs 
that  the  pass  is  close  to  the  edge  of  a  tremendous  precipice,  at  points, 
along  which  the  slightest  misstep  of  the  horse  would  precipitate  its 
rider  into  a  gulf  three  hundred  feet  below,  where  he  would  be  broken 
to  pieces  among  the  sharp  pointed  rocks  by  his  dreadful  fall.  There 
are  several  white  hills  seen  in  the  distance,  which  have  a  very  strong 
resemblance  of  the  sand  hills  of  North  Carolina  ;  and  were  it  not  for 
the  peculiar  situation  the  traveler  is  placed  in,  he  might  for  a  while 
imagine  himself  in  America.  The  convent  is  in  the  midst  of  an  utterly 
barren  and  desolate,  wild  wilderness,  where  naught  but  solitude  is 
supreme.  Those  who  wish  to  visit  the  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  must  first 
procure  a  letter  of  commendation  from  the  Patriarch  at  Jerusalem  ; 
without  such  a  paper  no  one  need  apply  for  admission.  There  have 
been  foul  measures  taken  with  the  inmates  of  some  of  these  institutions, 
which  may  be  the  prompting  cause  why  they  so  cautiously  guard  the 
entrance  door ;  otherwise  persons  with  murderous  intent  might  enter 
and  deal  treacherously  with  them. 

Mar  Saba  was  visited  a  good  many  years  ago  by  a  number  of  sav- 
age men,  and  over  forty  of  the  monks  were  slain.  From  that  day  to 
this,  the  convent  has  been  cautiously  guarded  against  the  admission  of 
an)'  other  than  worthy  persons.  The  entrance  door,  which  is  iron,  is 
always  securely  fastened,  and  those  applying  for  admission  must  knock 
upon  it  very  loudly  with  a  stick  or  stone.  On  being  heard,  the  keeper 
will  come  and  open  a  small  wicket,  into  which  the  visitor  or  his  guide 
places  the  letter  of  commendation,  which,  if  found  to  be  genuine,  is  so 
recognized,  and  the  door  is  opened  to  admit  him.  If  the  visit  is  for 
the  purpose  of  lodging  during  the  night,  the  guest  is  escorted  to  the 
room  especially  kept  for  strangers,  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the  insti- 
tution. Ladies  are  not  allowed  under  any  circumstances  whatever  to 
enter  it  Should  a  female  be  in  the  company,  they  have  a  small  tower 
adjoining  the  convent  where  they  are  permitted  to  spend  the  night ; 
but  this  does  not  occur  once  a  year ;  for  when  females  are  traveling. 


180  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

caution  is  always  taken  to  provide  tents  and  beds  for  the  trip,  with  all 
other  needed  accommodations,  and  they  generally  pitch  the  tent  in  the 
valley  near  the  convent,  where  the  whole  party  stay  together.  On 
entering  the  outer  door  of  the  institution,  a  long  deep  flight  of  steps 
must  be  descended,  and  these  are  intercepted  by  another  iron  door  very 
heavy ;  then  another  long  flight  of  steep  steps  lead  to  the  third  door. 
When  this  is  passed,  the  stranger  enters  within  the  precincts  of  a 
marvelously  contrived  habitation,  and  one  of  the  most  solitary  places 
of  retreat  known  in  the  world.  The  visitor,  who  hitherto  has  been 
stout-hearted  and  even  dauntless,  will  feel  somewhat  intimidated 
although  he  may  try  to  maintain  his  former  courage.  I  know  noth- 
ing with  wliich  this  isolated  place  can  be  more  adequately  compared, 
than  the  Doubting  Castle,  so  minutely  desci'ibed  in  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
The  room  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  convent,  into  which  strangers  are 
first  taken  and  in  which  they  are  to  spend  the  night,  is  a  small,  gloomy, 
and  a  very  uninviting  place.  The  hard  bed  is  put  on  the  stone  floor, 
and  is  very  uncomfortable,  and  one  must  be  almost  dead  for  sleep  to 
secure  any  rest  whatever ;  even  then  he  will  arise  in  the  early  morning 
feeling  as  though  he  had  been  lying  on  a  bed  of  stones  during  the  night. 
The  convent  is  composed  of  a  number  of  deep  dells,  with  walls  of 
natural  rock,  connected  with  artificial  walls  upon  them.  There  are 
several  holes  or  caves  in  the  walls  where  the  monks  stay  ;  and  a  person 
unaccustomed  to  a  place  of  the  kind  would  be  astonished  to  see  men 
walking  about  upon  the  ridges  of  the  massive  Avails,  then  suddenly  dis- 
appear. Each  of  the  holes  seen  above  are  sleeping  apartments,  where 
a  lawful  number  of  the  sixty  or  seventy  people  composing  the  inhabi- 
tants sleep ;  therefore,  the  monk  who  had  been  seen  by  the  awe-stricken 
visitor,  darted  into  one  of  them.  The  convent  is  so  expressly  com- 
plicated, none  but  those  familiar  with  it  could  find  their  way  through, 
without  some  one  to  guide  him.  There  is  no  attempt  undertaken  by 
the  inmates  to  take  advantage  of  their  guests  in  any  way ;  they  do  not 
as  much  as  ask  for  backsheesh,  which  is  the  custom  commonly  indulged 
by  people  in  Palestine ;  nor  do  they  make  any  charges  for  stopping 
there  a  night,  but  naturally  expect  something  as  a  present.  The  his- 
tory of  this  convent  is  most  peculiar,  and  much  of  what  is  circulated 
as  history  is  but  a  combination  of  fables.  This  monastery  is  the 
property  of  the  Greeks,  and  under  the  supervision  of  the  Patriarch 
whose  headquarters  is  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  notwithstanding  its  appear- 
ance is  somewhat  modern,  it  was  founded  as  far  back  as  the  fifth  cen- 
tury. St.  Saba  (as  he  is  called),  the  monk,  whose  name  the  convent 
bears,  has  the  reputation  of  having  been  a  man  of  great  piety.     He 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  MAR^.iBA.  181 

"was  born  in  the  year  four  hundred  and  thirty-nine  of  our  era.  It  is 
recorded  concerning  hira,  that  the  people  had  the  fullest  confidence  in 
him  because  of  the  piety  he  manifested,  and  thousands  became  his 
devout  followers  He  was  born  in  Cappadocia,  and  at  an  early  age 
devoted  himself  to  convent  life,  in  view  of  which  he  went  to  Pales- 
tine, and  after  having  gone  from  one  place  to  another,  without  settling 
himself  in  retirement,  came  to  this  place  about  the  year  four  hundred 
and  eighty-three,  and  began  forming  a  religious  community,  and  some- 
time afterwards  founded  the  Mar  Saba  convent. 

The  Patriarch  at  Jerusalem,  seeing  the  faithfulness  and  earnest, 
untiring  efforts  of  "  St.  Saba  "  to  stimulate  a  general  religious  senti- 
ment amongst  the  people,  exalted  him  to  the  position  of  Archiman- 
drite of  all  the  Anchorites  of  Palestine.  It  is  said.  Abbot  Saba  took  a 
leading  part  ia  the  vexing  controversy  raised  about  the  Monophysite 
heresy,  and  at  one  time  collected  a  company  of  his  followers  and 
marched  up  to  Jerusalem,  forced  the  enemies  to  leave  the  city,  not- 
withstanding they  had  a  squad  of  the  imperial  troops  to  aid  them. 
This  courageous  step  of  Abbot  Saba,  gave  him  additional  fame,  and  he 
was  looked  upon  as  a  hero  of  the  superior  type  ;  and,  as  it  might  be 
supposed,  the  people  spread  his  fame  far  and  near  as  one  of  the  greatest 
men  of  his  age.  It  seems,  from  certain  legends,  many  looked  upon 
him  as  almost  superhuman,  and  really  adored  him.  As  it  was  usual, 
with  the  most  of  the  ascetics  of  strong  piety  and  zeal,  at  that  time,  to 
have  the  word  "  Saint "  added  to  their  names,  it  was,  by  general  con- 
sent, agreed  to  call  this  man,  so  distinguished  for  piety,  St.  Saba ;  after- 
ward his  name  became  associated  with  a  number  of  fables  descriptive 
of  miraculous  achievements,  which  the  monks,  who  conduct  visitors 
through  the  convent,  take  pleasure  in  relating.  St.  Saba  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-four,  after  having  spent  a  very  useful  and  most  eventful 
life,  struggling  against  hosts  of  foes,  and  winning  many  precious  victo- 
ries of  great  importance  to  his  followers.  The  convent  of  Mar  Saba 
has  been  anxiously  sought  by  many  strong  foes,  and  has  had  a  hard 
struggle  to  maintain  its  existence.  It  was  several  times  attacked  and 
much  damage  done  to  both  the  institution  and  its  inmates.  It  v>  as 
plundered  by  the  Persians  under  Khaasau  in  the  year  six  hundred  and 
fourteen,  and  forty-four  of  the  monks  were  brutally  murdered ;  and 
several  times  afterwards  it  was  entered  and  robbed  of  what  valuables 
it  contained  ;  and  when  the  great  war  was  in  Palestine  between  the 
Crescent  and  the  Cross,  Mar  Saba  passed  through  many  bitter  changes. 
And  to  the  present,  it  is  said,  the  Bedouin  Arabs  are  often  seen  lurk- 
ing around  the  massive  walls  seeking  an  opportunity  to  enter  and  rob 


182  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

the  inmates  of  their  meagre  possessions.  It  is  commonly  believed  by 
those  robbers,  whose  lurkings  are  amongst  the  rocks  and  caves  of  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  that  rich  treasures  are  hid  in  some  private  vault 
in  the  convent,  and  they  are  anxious  to  come  in  possession  of  them. 
It  may  be  that  at  some  unguarded  moment  they  will  gain  an  entrance 
and  do  much  damage  both  to  life  and  property.  But  the  monks  are 
aware  of  the  malicious  purpose  of  these  roving  demons,  and  are  at  all 
times  on  the  alert,  closely  guarding  their  interests. 

There  are  generally  from  fifty  to  seventy  monks  living  in  the  con- 
vent, who  are  not  the  most  tidy  people  to  be  found,  yet  they  are  polite 
and  inofi'ensive.  It  is  said  some  of  these  men  have  been  placed  in  the 
monastery  because  of  some  violation  of  their  church  rules ;  they  are 
sent  there  to  pass  a  certain  term  of  months  or  years,  as  the  case  may 
be,  and  those  who  are  guilty  of  graver  oiFences  are  sent  there  to  spend 
their  lives.  It  is  said,  there  are  some  apartments  of  the  convent,  ex- 
pressly for  the  insane  who  are  sent  there  from  other  monasteries.  The 
institution  is  sustained  by  charities,  and  the  monks  who  are  there  are 
not  much  inclined  to  industry. 

There  are  only  a  few  things  of  interest  in  this  lonely  place  to  be 
seen ;  but  any  little  thing  that  would  not  be  noticed  on  the  outside,  is 
attractive  to  visitors  who  are  shut  up  within  the  impregnable  walls  of 
the  deep  solitude  for  which  Mar  Saba  is  noted.  The  first  place  to  which 
strangers  are  taken  is  the  tomb  of  St.  Saba,  the  illustrious  founder  of 
the  convent,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  court  near  the  steps  leading 
down  from  the  entrance  gate.  The  remains  of  the  Abbot  are  not 
there,  having  been  removed  to  Venice,  Italy ;  but  his  vacant  tomb  is 
venerated  by  his  followers  as  a  most  precious  relic.  Behind  a  screen 
in  the  St.  Nicholas  Chapel  is  a  vault,  in  which  have  been  placed  the 
skeleton  heads  of  the  monks  who  were  murdered  by  the  Persians  in 
the  seventh  century ;  and  the  site  is  by  no  means  coveted,  especially  in 
such  a  desolate  place.  Then  there  is  another  small  chapel,  called  the 
Church  of  the  Convent ;  it  has  a  small  bell  in  the  tower,  which  is  rung 
every  night  at  twelve  o'clock,  at  which  time  all  the  monks  in  the 
building  are  compelled  to  assemble  for  religious  services.  It  seems 
rather  strange  to  one  who  has  not  been  accustomed  to  such  a  procedure 
to  he'ar  the  bell  in  the  dead  stillness  of  the  night,  and  the  inmates 
leaving  their  various  rocky-chambers  to  attend  religious  worship.  The 
bell  in  this  convent  is  the  only  one,  east  of  Bethlehem,  in  Palestine. 
The  monks  are  handy  with  the  knife.  They  employ  a  portion  of  their 
time  cutting  various  kinds  of  souvenirs  of  olive  wood,  cherry  stones, 
and  other  materials,  all  of  which  are  readily  sold  to  strangers  who  go 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  MAR-SAB  A.  183 

amongst  them,  and  to  the  shops  in  Jerusalem  and  Bethlehem  ;  these 
men  might  do  a  good  business  at  this  work  were  they  more  industrious, 
but  they  seemingly,  do  a  little  occasionally  to  pass  the  time  and  earn  a 
few  pennies.  It  is  certain  my  visit  there  will  not  be  forgotten  while 
my  memory  is  good.  The  evening  I  entered  this  most  solitary  convent, 
a  feeling  of  uneasiness  seized  me,  that  grew  more  intense  each  moment, 
until  I  found  myself  trembling,  as  if  a  severe  ague  had  control  of  me ; 
and  when  conducted  to  the  vault  in  which  the  skulls  of  the  murdered 
monks  were  exposed  to  view,  I  had  an  impression  that  they  might  be 
the  skulls  of  visitors  who  came  there  to  remain  over  night ;  and  whilst 
steadfastly  looking,  absorbed  in  curious  imaginations  that  were  akin  to 
insanity,  I  inquired  within  myself,  "  Are  these  the  heads  of  the  monks 
who  were  slain  here  by  the  Persians  a  long  number  of  years  ago,  or 
are  they  the  heads  of  strangers  who  came  into  this  'Doubting  Castle  ' 
to  tarry  for  the  night  ?  "  and  I  said,  ''  I  wonder  if  my  poor  head  will 
be  there  soon?  "  These  unpleasant  thoughts,  troubled  me  so  intensely 
that  sleep  left  my  eyes,  and  although  I  lay  down  on  ray  bed,  I  was  on 
watch  all  night.  It  seemed  to  me  there  was  nothing  in  my  possession 
too  dear  to  give,  just  for  one  more  opportunity  of  looking  up  to  the 
heavens  at  the  stare.  So  about  midnight,  I  ventured  to  open  the  heavy 
iron  door  that  shut  me  in  from  the  world,  or  even  the  notice  of  those 
in  the  convent.  When  I  managed  to  open  the  door,  I  just  put  one 
foot  outside  to  get  myself  in  position  to  have  a  good  look  at  the  stars, 
and  as  I  looked  up  I  saw  one  of  the  monks,  who  had  been  attracted 
by  the  noise  I  made  opening  the  door,  looking  down  on  me ;  well, 
indeed  I  went  back  and  stayed  back,  awaiting  whatever  fate  that 
would  come  to  me.  But  when  the  day  was  about  to  dawn,  and  my 
guide  indicated  his  purpose  arranged  for  starting,  I  was  one  of  the 
happiest  men  in  Palestine.  AYe  left  the  old  convent  never  to  return 
again,  and  that  purpose  is  still  prominent  in  my  mind.  The  guides 
who  are  compelled  to  go  there  many  times  during  the  season,  while 
traveling  through  that  country,  say  they  dread  Mar  Saba  more  than 
any  other  place  in  Palestine.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  state,  that  my 
visit  to  this  old  convent  was  during  my  sojourn  in  Palestine  in  the 
winter  of  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy-eight ;  and  during  my  recent 
visit  around  the  world,  I  met  my  old  guide  in  Jerusalem.  He  called 
my  attention  to  the  night  we  spent  at  Mar  Saba,  and  asked  if  I  remem- 
bered the  circumstance?  I  assured  him  I  did,  and  the  scene  was  so 
fresh  in  my  mind  I  had  no  disposition  whatever  to  return.  This  con- 
vent is  the  only  convenient  place  on  this  route  between  Bethlehem  and 
Jericho,  and  those  whose  time  is  very  limited  are  usually  brought  down 


184  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

this  way,  on  what  is  known  as  a  three  days'  journey.  It  embraces  a 
visit  at  Bethlehem,  Kachel's  Tomb,  Solomon's  Pools,  Ethom,  Mar  Saba 
the  Dead  Sea,  Gilgal,  Jericho,  and  the  Jordan. 

The  return  journey  to  Jerusalem  is  up  the  "  Bloody  Pass,"  or  the 
old  highway  from  Jericho.  This  route  is  several  miles  nearer  and  can 
be  traveled  in  about  eight  hours.  Proceeding  to  the  Dead  Sea  from 
Mar  Saba,  the  road  is  more  solitary  and  desolate,  than  that  from 
Bethlehem  to  it.  The  scenery  is  wild  and  savage,  and  the  fearful,  deep 
chasms  along  which  travelers  are  compelled  to  ride,  produces  a  feel- 
ing of  dissatisfaction  that  is  dreadfully  annoying  until  they  are  passed. 
It  is  indeed  a  wild  wilderness,  which  has  no  charms  to  invite  the  delay 
of  any  one,  not  even  the  wandering  Bedouins  who  are  accustomed  to 
living  in  the  mountains.  It  is  the  desert  country,  called  in  the  Bible 
Jeshimon,  or  the  solitude ;  the  highest  point  is  called  Watch  Tower, 
and  the  surrounding  district  is  called  El  Hadeidun,  which  is  in 
harmony  with  the  Hebrew  "  Hidoodim  "  which  was  the  name  given  to 
the  wilderness  to  which  the  scape-goat  was  led,  that  symbolically 
bore  away  the  sins  of  God's  people  from  His  gracious  presence. 

There  is  a  well  close  to  the  old  pass  leading  up  to  Jerusalem,  called 
Bir-essuk,  the  existence  of  which  is  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  the 
identity  of  this  wild  wilderness  as  that  to  which  the  scapegoat  was  led. 
The  messenger,  who  was  authorized  to  lead  the  scape-goat  into  this  wilder- 
ness started  from  the  "  Holy  City  "  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  that  he 
might  avoid  breaking  the  law,  he  took  a  tent  with  him  ;  this  he  would 
pitch  at  the  limit  of  a  Sabbath  day's  journey,  at  which  point  he  would 
rest  for  a  while  to  eat  and  drink ;  after  this  he  could  lawfully  pursue 
his  journey  for  another  limited  distance.  Between  Jerusalem  and  the 
point  where  the  scape-goat  was  set  free  were  ten  stations,  and  the  last 
one  where  the  tent  was  pitched  was  called  the  "  Well  of  Suk." 

A  BEDOUIN  CAMP. 

There  is  nothing  more  of  historical  interest,  to  be  seen  until  the 
Dead  Sea  is  sighted  in  the  distance.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to 
pass  a  Bedouin  camp  along  the  way ;  these  roving  people  usually  go  in 
companies  of  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  families,  with  their  flocks  and 
all  they  possess,  and  move  from  one  pasture  to  another,  where  they 
find  good  water  convenient  or  within  a  mile  or  two.  They  are  a 
vicious  people,  made  up  of  thieves  and  men  who  would  commit 
murder  and  all  kinds  of  crime  to  accomplish  their  thievish  purposes. 


FROM  JERUSALE^kl  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  185 

On  account  of  these  characters,  it  is  indispensable  to  the  safety  of 
travelers  to  have  a  guard  of  soldiers  to  escort  them  the  whole  journey 
during  the  three  days'  travel.  The  tents  in  which  the  Bedouins  live 
are  made  of  camel's  hair ;  they  are  generally  small,  not  more  than  six 
or  seven  feet  long  and  from  four  to  four  and  a  half  feet  high.  They 
are  very  black,  and  to  each  is  tied  a  dog  in  the  front  to  keep  watch, 
and  they  invariably  give  notice  when  they  see  strangei-s  approaching. 
Then  there  is  a  sharp  lookout  by  these  people  to  see  who  is  coming,  and 
a  stranger  would  have  a  poor  chance  for  his  life,  if  there  were  no 
soldiers  nigh  to  protect  him  against  these  desperadoes.  But  the  sight  of 
a  guard  or  the  wave  of  his  hand  will  at  once  suppress  any  move  they 
attempt ;  for  all  of  them  are  cautious  of  their  conduct,  in  the  presence 
of  the  officers,  who  have  authority  to  dispatch  them  on  the  least 
attempt  they  make  to  do  violence  to  strangers. 

THE  WILDERNESS  OF  JUDEA. 

This  wilderness,  in  which  they  are  generally  found,  is  mentioned 
repeatedly  in  the  Scriptures.  There  are  different  names  given  to  sep- 
arate portions  of  it.  The  southern  portion  is  called  the  wilderness  of 
Maon,  so  named  because  a  town  of  that  name  was  at  one  time  situated 
in  this  district,  near  which  Nabal  lived,  and  there  David  took  refuge 
from  Saul.  A  little  to  the  north  of  it  is  the  wilderness  of  Ziph,  named 
after  a  city  or  town  four  miles  to  the  southeast  of  Hebron  ;  to  both  of 
these  places  David  fled  from  King  Saul,  who  was  hunting  his  life  from 
day  to  day.  It  was  near  the  latter  place  he  remained  hid  for  a  long 
time.  And  farther  on  northwards,  is  the  famous  wildernes  of  En-gedi. 
This  is  the  most  elevated  of  the  whole  wilderness  of  Judea.  The  entire 
region  abounds  with  caverns  and  cragged  rocks,  and  furnishes  one  of  the 
most  retired  lurking'  places  for  thieves  in  the  entire  district.  The 
height  of  En-gedi  is  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  Dead  Sea. 
In  this  place  David  spent  many  lonely  hours,  wandering  from  place  to 
place  in  his  endeavor  to  escape  the  vengeance  of  Saul,  and  it  is  proba- 
ble, he  made  his  home  for  a  time,  in  some  of  the  caves  that  are  still  to 
be  seen.  The  region,  as  has  been  mentioned,  is  frequented  by  outlaws, 
who  make  it  a  part  of  their  business  to  rob  whomsoever  they  can,  whether 
native  or  stranger,  when  the  least  opportunity  can  be  obtained.  It  was 
in  this  wilderness,  the  author  was  confronted  by  several  of  these  wild 
barbarians,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  prompt  interference  of  the 
guard,  the  results  would  no  doubt  have  been  serious ;  but,  thank  the 
Father  of  Spirits,  the  guard  was  just  around  the  bend  of  the  road  and 
reached  the  scene  in  time  to  avoid  a  calamity.     I  do  not  know  of  a 


186  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

more  wild  and  desolate  place  in  Palestine,  except  the  thieves'  valley, 
than  the  lonely  and  cheerless  wilderness  of  En-gedi.  As  far  as  one 
can  see,  naught  but  a  succession  of  mammoth  rocks,  deep  chasms, 
alarming  even  to  look  into,  and  barren  mountain  ridges  for  miles 
around,  and  occasionally  a  Bedouin  can  be  seen  walking  cautiously 
along  the  margin  of  the  precipice,  look  wistfully  down  on  the  passer- 
by, and  would  compel  him  to  stop,  if  it  were  not  for  the  guard,  whom 
they  so  greatly  fear.  These  outlaws,  always  have  a  long  gun  swung  to 
thom,  so  that  they  are  prepared  to  make  an  attack  upon  a  traveler  at 
any  moment,  for  they  know  well  how  to  handle  the  instrument.  From 
the  present  barren  state  of  the  country,  one  would  not  think  it  is  the 
En-gedi  that  at  one  time  flourished  with  vineyards,  concerning  which 
the  Holy  Scriptures  give  account.  And  were  it  not  that  so  much  in- 
controvertible evidence  of  the  identity  of  the  place  still  remains,  to 
declare  it  to  be  the  genuine  site,  it  would  be  sternly  doubted.  The 
wise  man,  in  speaking  of  the  former  flourishing  condition  of  the  place, 
said,  "  My  beloved  is  unto  me  as  a  cluster  of  henna-flowers  in  the  vine- 
yards of  En-gedi."  Now,  how  can  this  be  explained  to  human  satis- 
faction in  such  a  wild,  dreary  wilderness,  and  where,  in  all  the  length 
and  breadth  of  it  could  a  vineyard  have  been  found  ?  The  word  En- 
gedi  means  "  Fountain  of  the  Kid."  As  the  traveler  proceeds  down 
towards  the  Dead  Sea,  he  will  see  nearly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Eiver  Arnon,  a  fine  and  copious  spring  or  fountain,  called  by  the  na- 
tives Ain  Jedy,  which  means  En-gedi.  The  water  streams  forth  from 
the  rocks  about  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  ;  this  is 
the  most  beautiful  and  cheering  place  along  the  journey,  and  is  iden- 
tified as  the  ancient  En-gedi.  This  district  was  at  one  time  very  fruit- 
ful, but  has  become  fruitless  from  being  neglected  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  29 ; 
xxiv.  1-2)  for  many  centuries,  so  that  nearly  all  the  soil  in  the  greater 
part  of  it  has  been  washed  away  by  the  heavy  rains,  common  in  Pales- 
tine during  the  winter  season.  Indeed,  it  seems  strange,  that  much  of 
the  country,  throughout  eastern  and  southern  Palestine,  in  the  time 
of  the  Israelites  the  most  productive,  is  now  wild,  desolate  a,nd  covered 
with  beds  of  deep-seated  rocks,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  must 
remain  so  forever,  for  there  is  no  possibility  of  ever  causing  it  to  pro- 
duce again. 

THE  DEAD  SEA. 

The  most  mysterious  body  of  water  in  Palestine,  if  not  in  the  world, 
is  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  situated  in  the  lowest  portion  of  the  ravine  that 
extends  from  the  northern  to  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  Pales- 
tine.    This  body  of  water  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  great  wonders  of 


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FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  187 

the  world,  and  has  been  a  subject  of  discussion  for  many  ages,  by  the 
most  learned  scientific  men,  our  world  has  produced.  Although  they 
have  discovered  and  brought  many  things  of  interest  to  light,  yet 
there  is  a  deep  mystery  clinging  to  it,  which  has  baffled  the  most 
talented  scientists  of  the  world  to  demonstrate.  Many  have  consented 
to  accept  the  Scripture  narratives  concerning  it,  as  to  its  origin,  whilst 
others  have  endeavored  to  trace  its  origin  to  some  other  cause,  but 
without  satisfying  themselves,  after  years  of  research  and  much  loss  of 
time.  All  these  great  investigations  of  men  who  undertake  to  set  aside 
the  word  of  God,  as  taught  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  by  endeavoring  to 
establish  other  theories,  suitable  to  their  own  fancies,  have  been  a  suc- 
cession of  failures,  so  glaring  that  many  have  become  disgusted  with 
their  own  folly  and  abandoned  the  contest.  It  must  be  admitted,  how- 
ever, we  have  been  much  enlightened  as  to  many  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  that  for  a  long  time  were  not  properly  understood  before 
the  various  investigations  took  place.  There  were  many  opinions  as  to  its 
nature,  and  these  became  so  very  complicated,  that  there  seemed  to  be 
less  information  furnished  the  world  as  to  its  true  character,  than 
existed  prior  to  the  time  men  began  making  tours  to  it.  But  when 
investigations  were  being  held,  it  was  seen  that  many  wild  legends  were 
in  circulation,  concerning  this  wonderful  body  of  water,  which  were 
too  glaringly  weak  to  find  a  resting-place  in  the  hearts  of  an  enlight- 
ened and  progressive  people.  There  is  a  general  belief  that  the  Dead 
Sea  occupies  the  area  where  the  cities  of  the  plain  once  stood,  and  here 
righteous  Lot,  after  parting  from  Abraham,  settled  down  amongst  a 
very  wicked  and  Godless  people,  who  vexed  his  soul  because  of  their 
persistent  evil  doings. 

The  Dead  Sea  lies  about  twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  Jerusalem. 
The  ravine  or  basin,  in  which  it  is  confined,  connects  with  the  depression 
which  extends  from  the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon,  on  the  north,  to  the 
Gulf  of  Akabah  on  the  south.  This  ravine,  running  from  the  north  to 
the  southeast,  is  for  more  than  one  hundred  miles  of  its  course,  below 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  falls  lower  still,  so  that  when 
it  reaches  the  Dead  Sea  basin,  it  is  thirteen  hundred  and  twelve  feet 
below  the  western  sea.  The  waters  of  the  river  Jordan  are  contin- 
uously pouring  into  the  Salt  Sea  on  its  north,  and  those  of  the  Wady 
el  Jeib  on  the  south.  Yet  there  seems  to  be  no  overflow  of  water 
caused  by  these  immense  tributaries,  nor  has  any  place  been  found 
where  the  waters  find  an  outlet.  There  have  been  many  theories  and 
conjectures  as  to  the  outlets  of  the  Dead  Sea,  but  none  of  them  have 
been  so  clearly  and  definitely  demonstrated  as  to  establish  a  certainty, 


188  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

except  that  of  the  immense  evaporations.  This  is  regarded  by  many  to 
be  the  only  means  of  carrying  off  the  great  quantity  of  water  coming 
into  it  from  the  Jordan. 

The  Wady  el-Jeib  and  other  smaller  tributaries  flow  into  it.  It  has 
been  thought  there  is  a  subterranean  communication,  between  the  Salt 
Sea  and  the  Red  Sea,  into  which  it  empties  a  great  volume  of  water ; 
but  this  theory  has  not  been  sustained.  This  body  of  most  bitter  water, 
frequently  called  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  Sea  of  Lot,  is,  so  far  as 
development  has  revealed,  solitary  and  alone  in  a  deep  bed,  shut  in  on 
the  east  and  west  by  high  limestone  borders,  which  at  points,  dip 
into  the  sea,  not  leaving  margin  enough  to  walk  on.  It  is  forty  miles 
long  from  the  northern  to  the  southern  extremity,  and  the  widest  por- 
tion is  about  nine  miles ;  but  it  becomes  narrower  until  its  widest 
northern  point  is  only  five  miles,  and  its  area  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles.  It  has  the  enormous  depth  of  one  thousand  and  eighty 
feet  in  some  places,  and  from  this  many  variations  are  found,  ranging 
from  one  thousand  and  eighty,  to  only  eleven  feet  deep.  These  differ- 
ences of  depth  are  caused  by  the  elevations  and  depressions  of  the 
caldron  in  which  the  sea  is  confined. 

Those  who  visit  the  Dead  Sea  from  Jerusalem  descend  thirty-one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  Holy  City  before  the  sea  is  reached. 
It  is  the  most  depressed  body  of  water  on  the  globe  ;  and  when  the 
traveler  finds  himself  standing  upon  the  margin,  he  would  do  well  to 
call  to  mind  he  is  nearly  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  great 
sea  on  the  west,  and  more  than  three  thousand  feet  below  Mt.  Zion  ; 
above  all  he  should  bear  in  mind,  his  feet  are  pressing  the  soil  of  the 
very  lowest  ^spot  of  ground  known  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  To 
have  such  a  distinguished  privilege,  is  worth  more  than  the  cost  and 
fatigue  of  the  journey.  It  is  excessively  warm  there,  the  sun  seemingly 
shining  in  its  most  oppressive  strength.  Those  who  visit  the  Dead 
Sea  in  the  months  of  March  and  April,  are  specially  cautioned  against 
exposing  themselves  to  the  sun,  lest  they  receive  a  sun-stroke.  It  is  so 
very  warm  there,  many  times  in  the  spring,  that  persons  visiting  Jeru- 
salem from  Europe  are  not  allowed  to  travel  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
but  must,  for  the  sake  of  their  own  safety,  go  out  sight-seeing  in  the 
early  morning  and  late  in  the  evening,  to  avoid  being  out  in  the  intense 
heat. 

When  nearing  the  borders  of  the  sea,  it  appears  as  if  it  was  a  beach 
of  pure  white  sand,  or  a  bed  of  snow  had  whitened  its  whole  expanse. 
But  it  will  soon  be  seen,  as  a  nearer  approach  is  gained,  that  the  whole 
surface  of  the  ground  is  covered  with  salt.     In  many  places  on  the 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  189 

north  side,  salt  can  be  gathered  into  little  balls  during  the  warm  sea- 
son ;  and  on  the  east  side  the  salt  abounds  in  a  much  greater  quantity, 
"which  is  seen  to  a  greater  advantage  if  no  rain  has  fallen  for  a  few 
days 

There  is  nothing  green,  nor  any  kind  of  produce  to  be  seen  on  the 
border  of  this  salt  sea,  nor  has  there  been,  since  it  supplanted  the  cities 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Lying,  as  it  does,  in  this  deep  dell,  nearly 
immediately  encompassed  by  cragged  rocks,  and  having,  during  the 
long  hot  season,  the  intense  rays  of  the  sun  pouring  constantly  down 
upon  it,  nothing  could  be  looked  for  about  it,  but  barrenness ;  and 
those  who  desire  to  take  in  the  products  of  nature  must  remain  about 
the  regions  of  Jericho  and  the  Jordan.  It  has  been  ascertained,  the 
immense  evaporations  which  cause  the  ground  to  be  whitened  all 
around  the  sea  with  salt,  are  produced  by  the  intense  heat,  common 
to  the  deep  caldron  in  which  it  is  confined. 

The  atmosphere  is  necessarily  heavy  from  its  connection  with  the 
constant  evaporations,  which  cause  it  to  have  a  heavy  and  dark  appear- 
ance ;  and  the  marshes  of  the  Ghor,  send  out  an  unhealthy  vapor,  that 
connect  with  the  already  heavily  charged  atmosphere,  and  renders 
the  country  round  about  very  unhealthy  ;  so  much  so,  that  the  people 
are  generally  feeble  and  short-lived.  On  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea 
are  situated  the  remarkable  salt  hills,  which  have  been  so  largely  dis- 
cussed, and  with  which  many  fables  have  been  associated.  They  are 
called  by  the  natives  Jebel  Usdum,  or  the  "  Mountains  of  Sodom." 
There  are  deep  impressions,  and  many  interesting  reflections  to  engage 
the  attention  of  any  one  while  passing  round  the  shores.  The  natural 
curiosities  about  the  shores,  and  in  the  basin  leading  up  to  the  sullen- 
looking  waters,  of  this  ancient  renowned  region  are  few,  but  those  to  be 
seen  are  different  from  any  in  other  parts  of  Palestine ;  especially  the 
Dead  Sea  stones,  that  are  so  highly  praised  by  the  relic-dealers  in  Jeru- 
salem and  Bethlehem.  But  there  is  so  much  history  connected  with 
the  country,  within  the  limits  of  one's  observation,  there  is  but  little 
time  spent  in  hunting  souvenirs.  The  waters  of  this  wonderful,  mys- 
terious basin,  are  so  very  salt,  that  it  contains  twenty-six  pounds  of 
saline  to  every  one  hundred  pounds  of  water.  This  naturally  makes 
it  fatal  to  animal  life — nothing  lives  within  its  solitary  deep.  But  it  is 
not  true,  that  birds  flying  over  it  fall  dead  in  the  water,  as  has  been 
erroneously  stated  by  persons  who  we  feel  never  visited  this  sea,  or 
if  they  did,  had  no  respect  for  the  truth.  Birds  do  fly  over  it  every 
day  and  hour,  by  the  hundreds ;  we  have  seen  them  in  great  numbers, 
going  from  the  western  to  the  eastern  shore,  and  they  fly  over  just  as 


190  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

safely  as  they  would  over  any  other  body  of  water.  It  has  been  also  stated, 
that  men  cannot  breathe  its  heavy  atmosphere,  even  for  a  very  short 
while,  without  being  in  eminent  danger  of  fatal  results.  This  is  another 
ill-contrived  fabrication,  which  cannot  bear  the  light  of  truth.  Pil- 
grims go  there,  sometimes  by  the  hundreds,  especially  immediately  after 
the  Easter  Festival ;  and  hundreds  of  tourists,  also,  during  the  travel- 
ing season,  visit  there,  and  breathe  in  the  air  as  freely  as  if  in  a  more 
agreeable  climate,  without  incurring  any  injury.  There  is  danger,  how- 
ever, in  strangers  remaining  too  long ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  atmos- 
pheric odor  is  not  disagreeably  unpleasant,  strangers  are  cautioned  not 
to  camp  out  over  night  on  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  as  the  locality 
is  generally  unhealthy  during  the  heavy  evaporations,  which  are  much 
more  prominent  after  sunset.  Strangers  who  are  exposed  to  it,  are  liable 
to  be  stricken  with  a  fever  that  might  terminate  fatally.  Much  of  the 
physical  condition  of  this  mysterious  body  of  water  has  been  brought  to 
light,  and  many  wild  stories  concerning  it  put  at  rest,  by  the  energetic 
labors  of  the  American  exploring  expedition.  The  scientists  composing 
it  made  investigations  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  gave  the  results  to 
the  world,  which  have  been  of  great  benefit.  What  was  more  mislead- 
ing than  the  story  of  the  "  Pillar  of  Salt "  into  which  Lot's  wife  was 
changed?  It  had  been  currently  circulated  that  persons  who  had 
visited  the  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  had  seen  her,  broken  off  a  piece  of 
her  finger  or  toe,  to  take  home  as  a  relic ;  that  the  mutilated  finger  or 
toe  would  grow  again  in  a  short  time  and  become  fully  restored.  This 
flagrant  misrepresentation  was  credited  by  many,  and  is  still  believed, 
by  some,  to  be  true.  It  is  true  there  are  a  number  of  salt  mounds  or 
pillars  about  the  sea;  but  no  one  can  tell  which,  if  any  one  of  them,  is 
that  of  Lot's  wife.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  the  Lord  did  not  turn 
her  into  a  statue,  but  a  pillar.  If  a  statue,  she  would  have  had  bodily 
form,  with  accurately  defined  limbs,  such  as  a  statue  naturally  must 
have.  But  she  was  turned  into  a  pillar.  Therefore,  it  can  at  once  be 
seen,  that  no  one  can  tell  which,  of  the  many  mounds  or  pillars  of  salt 
is  that  to  which  Lot's  wife  was  turned.  It  was  supposed  for  a  long 
while,  there  was  a  deep  abyss  in  the  centre  of  the  Dead  Sea,  into  which 
flowed  the  accumulated  waters  of  the  Jordan,  and  other  streams  would 
carry  it  off"  as  fast  as  it  ran  in.  But  it  has  been  finally  agreed  by  the 
most  talented  explorers,  that  there  is  no  outlet ;  the  whole  domain  of 
the  amazing  sea  has  been  thoroughly  explored,  and  nothing  indicating 
an  outlet  has  been  found.  But  careful  observations  have  satisfied 
those  who  have  made  repeated  investigations,  that  the  evaporations  pro- 
duced by  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun,  are  equal  to  the  amount  of  water 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  191 

flowing  into  it.     Great  are  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  marvelous  are 
His  ways. 

It  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  world,  if  all  persons  who  visit 
the  Dead  Sea,  other  places  in  Palestine,  and  elsewhere  for  historical 
purposes,  would  make  correct  notes  of  the  things  they  intend  giving  to 
the  world.  I  am  sure  it  would  be  the  means  of  harmonizing  the  true 
state  of  things,  in  many  places  that  have  been  greatly  exaggerated,  by 
those  who  have  not  been  careful  to  minutely  record  what  they  saw  and 
heard.  It  many  times  occurs,  that  persons  who  go  to  the  Holy  Land, 
visit  a  few  of  the  most  convenient  and  memorable  historic  places,  but 
on  account  of  fear  or  disinclination,  fail  to  visit  the  more  remote  and 
difficult  places,  because  of  the  many  dangers  to  which  they  are  con- 
stantly exposed ;  yet  they  desire  to  impress  others  that  they  have  seen 
them,  and  having  obtained  an  incorrect  account  of  them  from  what 
they  have  read,  form  an  opinion  very  foreign  to  the  real  condition  of 
things,  and  put  it  in  circulation  as  truth.  Many  persons  who  visit  Jeru- 
salem, and  a  few  places  round  about  it,  content  themselves  with  taking  a 
view  of  the  Dead  Sea  from  the  Minaret  of  Helena,  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives ;  from  which  point  of  observation  the  water  appears  as  black 
as  ink,  and  just  as  still  as  death.  It  also  occurs,  sometimes,  when  travelers 
are  not  careful  as  to  the  fitness  of  the  guide  ;  untrained  and  know- 
nothing  men,  will  impose  themselves  upon  tourists,  who  will  tell  them 
anything  to  pass  off  the  time  and  entertain  those  in  their  care.  This 
is  often  the  cause  of  many  of  the  misrepresentations  given  by  persons 
who  are  ignorant  of  their  mistakes.  Those  who  visit  the  Dead  Sea, 
after  viewing  it  from  the  summit  of  Olivet,  find  a  marked  difference 
as  to  its  real  condition.  If  the  day  is  cloudy  and  a  strong  wind 
is  blowing,  it  will  be  very  much  agitated,  and  the  waves  can  be  heard 
roaring  almost  equal  to  those  on  the  Mediterranean ;  and  the  water 
that  seemed  to  be  as  black  as  ink,  when  viewed  eighteen  miles  away,  is 
seen  to  be  a  beautiful  sheet  of  deep  blue.  Out  from  the  border  and 
near  the  point,  where  the  Jordan  is  pouring  into  it,  the  water  is  trans- 
parently clear.  The  Dead  Sea  has  a  specific  gravity,  so  great,  that  a 
heavy  man  can  stand  erect  in  some  parts  of  it,  and  not  sink  above  his 
knees,  or  he  may  lie  down  as  upon  a  sofa  in  perfect  safety.  Many 
travelers  go  in,  so  they  may  experience  the  peculiarly  strange  sensation 
it  produces.  But  I  am  frank  to  inform  all  who  may  wish  to  know,  I 
did  not  try  it.  The  peculiar  sensation  of  my  surroundings  was  suffi- 
ciently impressive,  without  going  in  those  Sodomic  waters  to  intensify 
them,  It  is  said  after  the  bathing  is  finished,  the  salt  causes  every 
portion  of  the  body  to  tingle,  and  often  produces  an  eruption  known 


192  .      THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

as  the  "  Dead  Rash."  Those  who  venture  to  take  a  bath,  are  advised  to 
ride  as  fast  as  possible  and  bathe  in  fresh  water  thoroughly,  so  as  to 
remove  the  saline  effects  of  the  previous  bath ;  which  if  allowed  to  dry- 
in  the  flesh,  will  jjroduce  a  cuticle  disease  from  which  it  is  hard  to 
recover.  It  is  strange  that  people  will  allow  their  better  judgment  to 
be  overruled  to  the  extent,  that  they  venture,  in  the  face  of  the  peril 
of  being  sick,  into  the  Dead  Sea  simply  to  gratify  a  greedy  ambition. 
The  malignant  character  of  the  sea  is  attributed  to  the  extraordi- 
nary amount  of  mineral  salts  it  contains  The  analysis  of  chemists, 
show  that  it  contains  twenty-six  per  cent,  of  saline  matter,  an  amount 
fatal  to  animal  life.  It  can  be  readily  understood  why  nothing  can 
live  in  it,  for  it  is  freighted  with  death.  The  different  chemical  results 
are  accounted  for,  according  to  the  portion  of  the  sea  the  specimens 
were  taken  from,  the  season  they  were  collected,  as  well  as  the  distance 
they  were,  when  procured,  from  the  point  the  Jordan  flows  into  it.  If 
they  were  collected  in  the  early  spring  or  during  the  warm,  dry  season, 
their  analysis  will  largely  differ  from  those  collected  in  the  winter. 
Water  taken  from  a  point  near  where  it  receives  the  Jordan  flow,  is 
much  fresher  than  that  taken  a  greater  distance  from  it.  The  water 
in  winter  taken  from  any  part  of  the  sea,  will  contain  less  salt,  and  be 
less  bitter  than  that  taken  in  autumn.  One  analysis  shows  chloride  of 
sodium,  eight;  potassium,  one  ;  calcium,  three.  The  above  facts  ,were 
obtained  ,after  careful  analytical  investigations  were  made  by  leading 
scientists;  and  taking  it  for  granted  their  conclusions  are  correct,  the 
buoyancy  of  the  water  is  easily  understood.  We  have  also  the  results 
of  the  masterly  expedition  of  Lieutenant  Lynch,  who  surveyed  the 
whole  of  the  Dead  Sea  thoroughly,  and  ascertained  its  geographical 
situation  and  much  of  its  mineral  contents,  as  well  as  its  depth,  its 
width,  its  temperature  and  the  velocity  of  its  tributaries.  He  collected 
all  obtainable  specimens,  and  noted  the  currents,  the  changes  of  weather 
and  a  variety  of  other  useful  information  which  has  been  of  great  ben- 
efit to  those  who  have  been  searching  and  collecting  its  history.  The 
following  will  be  read  with  much  interest,  it  being  a  portion  of  the 
statement  of  Lieutenant  Lynch  :  "  Everything  said  in  the  Bible  about 
the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan,  we  believe  to  be  fully  verified  by  our 
observations.  The  inference  from  the  Bible  that  the  entire  chasm  was 
a  plain,  sunk  and  overwhelmed  by  the  wrath  of  God,  seems  to  be  sus- 
tained by  the  extraordinary  character  of  our  surroundings.  The  bot- 
tom of  the  sea  consists  of  two  submerged  plains,  one  elevated  and  the 
other  depressed,  the  former  averaging  thirteen  feet,  and  the  latter  about 
thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  surface.     Through  the  northern,  and 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  193 

longest  and  deepest  one,  in  a  line  corresponding  with  the  bed  of  the 
Jordan,  is  a  ravine  at  the  south  end  of  the  sea.  Between  the  Jabbok 
and  this  sea,  we  unexpectedly  found  a  sudden  break-down  in  the  bed 
of  the  Jordan.  If  there  be  a  similar  break-down  in  the  water-courses 
to  the  south  of  the  sea,  accompanied  with  like  volcanic  characters, 
there  can  scarce  be  a  doubt  that  the  whole  Ghor,  has  sunk  from 
some  extraordinary  convulsion,  preceded  probably  by  an  eruption 
of  fire  and  a  general  conflagration  of  bitumen  which  abounded  in 
the  plain."  The  danger  which  seemed  to  be  imminent,  during 
Lieutenant  Lynch's  exploring  expedition  of  the  Dead  Sea  was  alarm- 
ing. At  times  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  Almighty  had  frowned  upon 
their  attempt  to  explore  the  dreary  regions  of  the  mysterious  sea, 
under  whose  foaming  bosom,  are  entombed  the  once  proud  and  sin- 
cursed  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ;  and  in  whose  depths  nothing 
can  breathe  life,  and  around  which  naught  but  solitude  reigns,  as  an 
ever-present  memento  of  the  creation  of  Divine  wrath.  But,  although 
the  expedition  of  Lieutenant  Lynch  was,  according  to  prediction,  to 
be  a  failure,  and  the  tradition  of  the  Arabs,  that  no  one  can  venture 
upon  the  sea  and  live,  was  at  times  gaining  strength  in  the  opinion  of 
some,  who  were  nearly  overcome  with  the  threatening  attitude  of  the 
sea,  yet  the  little  ship  made  the  harbor  safely  with  all  its  human  cargo. 
One  standing  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  taking  a  careful 
survey  of  its  situation,  would  conclude,  that  the  silence  prevailing 
throughout  its  circumference,  the  desolation  prominent  everywhere  to 
be  seen,  the  deep  mystery  still  enveloping  much  of  its  history,  and  the 
repulsive  character  of  the  water,  all  associate  their  strength  and  stamp 
upon  the  character  of  the  sea  the  veritable  image  of  death.  It  is, 
therefore,  properly  named  "  Dead  Sea." 

It  was  an  opinion  of  long  standing,  that  the  Jordan  flowed  directly 
through  the  deep  chasm,  that  extends  from  the  southern  end  of  the 
Dead  Sea  to  the  head  of  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  in  this 
way  the  water  of  the  Jordan  might  be  discharged.  But  recent  investi- 
gations have  proven  that  such  a  channel  did  not  exist,  and  it  is  also 
shown  to  be  impossible  that  such  a  subterranean  connection  could  be 
between  the  Dead  and  Red  Seas,  through  which  the  water  of  the  former 
could  be  conveyed  to  the  latter,  from  the  ostensible  fact,  the  depression 
of  the  Dead  Sea  basin  and  the  whole  Jordan  valley  is  so  much  lower 
than  the  Red  Sea,  that  if  such  a  passage  were  open,  the  waters  of  the 
Red  Sea  would  flow  into  the  Jordan,  in  such  volumes  it  would  flood  it 
as  far  north  as  the  base  of  Mt.  Hermon,  and  fill  its  eastern  portion 
several  hundred  feet  deep.  There  is  a  conflicting  opinion  as  to  the 
13 


194  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

condition  of  the  Dead  Sea  at  present  and  that  of  earlier  times  with 
reference  to  its  increase  in  territory.  The  general  belief  is,  this  sea 
holds  its  own,  and  has  not  increased  nor  decreased  to  any  perceptible 
degree,  since  the  Divine  Being  caused  it  to  exist.  The  evaporations  are 
so  intense,  that  they  absorb  nearly  as  much  water  as  the  Jordan  and 
other  streams  pour  into  it.  But  Dr.  Robertson  and  others  are  of  the 
opinion,  the  Dead  Sea  is  larger  now  than  in  former  times.  The  north- 
ern portion  of  it  is  known  to  be  much  deeper  than  that  on  the  south, 
the  former  being  many  hundred  feet  deep  in  every  part,  while  the 
latter  measures  but  a  few  feet  in  depth,  and  in  summer  becomes  a  broad 
lagoon,  so  very  shallow  it  may  be  forded  in  several  places.  It  is  sup- 
posed by  many  Biblical  scholars,  this  shallow  portion  is  of  late  forma- 
tion, and  think  it  was  at  some  time,  long  since  passed,  a  fertile  plain. 
It  may  have  been  at  the  time  of  Lot,  a  part  of  the  well-watered  and 
beautiful  plain,  which  won  his  affections  and  caused  him  to  pitch  his 
tent  towards  Sodom.  This  was  without  doubt,  the  land  of  the  cities  of 
the  plain,  upon,  at  least  a  portion  of  which,  some  of  them  proudly  stood. 
No  one  can  stand  on  the  dismal  shore  of  this  historic  sea,  without 
having  many  sad  reflections  concerning  the  event  which  brought  it 
into  existence,  and  the  dreadful  calamity  on  the  proud  and  Godless 
people,  who  at  one  time  reveled  in  the  most  daring  and  vicious  crimes 
against  the  Lord.  One  may  imagine  he  sees  Lot  running  for  his  life, 
his  wife  suddenly  turned  into  a  2:)illar  of  salt,  and  people  falling  under 
the  wrath  of  God.  We  see  the  first  mention  of  the  locality  of  the 
Dead  Sea  in  Genesis,  referring  to  an  incident  that  took  place  nearly 
four  thousand  years  ago,  when  there  was  an  increasing  dissatisfaction, 
and  ill-feeling  existing  between  the  herdsmen  of  Abraham  and  Lot, 
growing  out  of  misunderstandings,  it  is  thought,  concerning  the  rights 
of  each  other  as  to  certain  pastures.  The  hard  feeling  grew  more 
aggravating  and  became  a  very  serious  matter,  tending  towards 
a  little  strife,  that  would  have  eventually  interfered  with  the  ties  of 
friendship,  which  bound  Abraham  and  Lot  together.  The  senior 
patriarch  was  apprehensive  of  the  inevitable  calamity  should  they  con- 
tinue together  ;  therefore,  he  advised  that  a  friendly  separation  take 
place,  to  avoid  a  permanent  fraternal  dissolution.  Then  Lot  looked 
down  from  the  high  mountain  summit  just  above  Bethel,  and  beheld 
the  plain  of  the  Jordan,  and  the  cities  which  were  very  beautiful  to  look 
upon.  He  was  at  once  attracted  by  its  fertility,  and  drawn  by  the 
prospect  of  having  in  that  part  of  the  country  all  that  was  needful  to 
make  him  prosperous  and  happy.  He,  therefore,  gathered  together  all 
that  belonged  to  him  and  moved  down  toward  Sodom. 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  195 

SODOM  AND  GOMOERAH. 

Almost  every  one  who  has  been  favored  with  the  opportunity  of 
taking  a  view  of  the  plain  of  the  Jordan  from  the  heights  above 
Bethel,  entertains  the  belief  that  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomoi-rah, 
were  situated  to  the  north  of  the  Dead  Sea,  instead  of  the  south  side 
as  some  have  located  them  ;  otherwise  when  Lot  looked  down  from  the 
summit,  where  he  stood,  he  could  not  have  seen  the  cities  of  the  plain, 
unless  a  great  change  has  taken  place  in  the  natural  situation  of  the 
country.  The  Bible  tells  us  Lot  saw  the  condition  of  the  land  from 
where  he  stood  ;  for  he  "  Beheld  all  the  plain  of  Jordan,  that  it  was 
well  watered  everywhere,"  before  the  Lord  destroyed  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  "  even  as  a  garden  of  the  Lord,  like  the  laud  of  Egypt,  as 
thou  goest  unto  Zoar."  "  Lot  therefore  chose  him  all  the  plain  of 
Jordan,  and  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  the  plain,  and  pitched  his  tent  toward 
Sodom."  The  portion  of  the  plain  seen  by  Lot  from  Bethel,  is  north  of 
the  sea,  as  the  south  side  is  not  visible  from  that  point.  It  is  the  pre- 
vailing opinion  that  Lot  came  to  the  northern  portion  of  the  plain  first, 
and  went  southward  from  time  to  time,  until  he  at  length  reached 
Sodom,  as  the  whole  of  tlie  southern  plain  was  well  adapted  to  afford 
abundance  for  his  flocks. 

He  having  entered  Sodom,  it  is  reasonable  he  would  seek  the 
acquaintance  and  friendship  of  the  inhabitants.  He  next  indicated  his 
intention  of  remaining  there,  by  marrying  one  of  the  maidens  of  the  sin- 
smitten  town,  and  reared  a  family,  and  in  some  respects  he  became  socially 
identified  with  the  people,  who  were  not  lovers  of  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  remained  with  them  until  compelled  to  "  escape  for  his  life,"  from 
the  pending  wrath  of  God,  which  was  suspended  to  allow  him  to  shun 
it.  The  plain  in  which  the  doomed  cities  stood  was  called  "  The  Vale  of 
Siddim,"  and  we  are  informed  in  the  Scriptures,  it  was  full  of  slirae-pits, 
of  which  several  relics  are  still  to  be  seen.  Those  who  have  been  at 
Jericho  in  the  rainy  season,  and  have  gone  to  the  Dead  Sea  on  a  horse, 
have  witnessed  something  of  the  condition  of  this  slimy  district,  which 
will  give  an  idea  of  its  former  status,  when  the  pits  were  numerously 
dispersed  throughout  the  whole  region,  and  he  may  also  faintly  catch  a 
glimpse  at  a  panoramic  view  of  the  ancient  cities,  which  once  flourished 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  place  over  which  he  rides.  The  whole 
scene  of  the  ill-fated  cities  came  before  my  mind,  while  standing  on  the 
shore  of  the  Sea  of  Lot  (Dead  Sea),  so  vividly,  I  seemed  for  a  while  to 
be  living  amongst  the  scenes  of  nearly  four  thousand  ages  past.  The 
hasty  flight  of  Lot  to  Zoar,  the  gathering  fire-clouds  in  which  were  the 


196  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

magazines  of  God's  Avrath,  the  falling  storms  of  the  arrows  of  death 
clothed  in  flames,  the  consternation  of  thousands  who  felt  the  terrible 
effects  of  the  calamity,  and  their  fruitless  attempts  to  seek  places  of 
refuge,  all  came  before  my  mind  so  clearly  and  pungently,  that  my 
imagination  almost  persuaded  me  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the  scene. 

The  Bible  narratives  relative  to  the  eventful  occurrence,  inform  us 
of  the  overthrow  of  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the 
preservation  of  Zoar,  which  God  permitted  to  remain  for  the  security 
of  Lot,  who  was  fleeing  to  it  for  refuge.  This  little  city  to  which  Lot 
escaped  was  near  Sodom,  on  the  south  of  the  plain  where  the  ill-fated 
cities  were  located. 

LOCATION  OF  ZOAR. 

There  seems  to  be  but  little,  if  any,  doubt  as  to  the  location  of 
Zoar  by  those  who  have  carefully  investigated  the  country  round  about 
the  Dead  Sea,  and  that  it  was  situated  on  the  south  of  the  plain, 
becomes  more  evident,  when  we  take  into  consideration  what  is  said 
concerning  the  view  of  Moses  from  the  summit  of  Mount  Pisgah. 
Whilst  standing  upon  that  lofty  eminence,  the  man  of  God  surveyed 
the  land  of  promise,  the  wide  prospect  opening  to  actual  vision,  and  as 
suggested  by  this  to  the  imagination  is  represented  as  being  bounded 
on  the  south  by  Zoar,  which  must  be  a  natural  boundary  if  the  above 
view  of  the  situation  of  Zoar  be  correct. 

This  little  city,  which,  perhaps,  was  the  most  humble  of  all  the 
flourishing  cities  in  that  region,  suddenly  became  the  chief  city  of  the 
whole  district,  for  it  was  left  alone.  Here  Lot  stood  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  having  looked  towards  the  plain,  he  saw  the  smoke  of  the 
condemned  and  consumed  cities  ascending,  for  all  their  former  glory 
had  melted,  under  the  awful  displeasure  of  the  Almighty.  It  is  highly 
probable,  Zoar  grew  to  be  a  very  important  place  after  the  destruction 
of  its  neighbors,  and  flourished  as  such  for  a  long  time  after  the  death 
of  Lot. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  a  place  of  much  importance  in  the  time  of 
Josephus,  and  was  known  down  to  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Scripture,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  demolished  by  fire 
and  brimstone,  which  were  rained  down  upon  them  from  Heaven,  as  a 
result  of  their  unbearable  sins.  It  came  upon  the  inhabitants  sud- 
denly, at  a  time  when  they  were  indulging  in  their  usual  wickedness, 
and  from  their  conduct  towards  Lot ;  the  same  evening  a  messenger 
came  down  from  Heaven;  it  may  be  said  they  were  even  more  daring 
than  ever  before,  for  they  seemed  to  have  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  197 

night  indulging  in  crimes  and  shame,  which  is  not  customary  with  the 
people  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The  early  part  of  the  evening  is 
usually  spent  in  whatever  pleasures  are  sought,  and  before  midnight 
everything  is  perfectly  quiet. 

But  these  people,  while  standing  on  the  verge  of  an  awful  calamity, 
were  more  intensely  lost  in  wickedness  (from  their  attitude  toward  Lot 
and  his  divine  guest)  than  they  had  showed  themselves  to  be  at  any 
other  time.  Being  too  blind  to  take  warning,  they  were  found  with- 
out a  place  of  refuge  or  a  God  to  help  them  when  the  cup  of  their 
doings  was  falling  upon  them.  Every  attempt  to  escape  was  in  vain, 
because  of  the  extent  of  the  calamity.  It  visited  all  the  cities  of  the 
plain  instantly,  so  that  every  one  was  in  the  same  condition  ;  and  it 
became  suddenly  overwhelming,  so  that  nd  opportunity  was  given  the 
people  to  follow  in  the  direction  Lot  fled,  which  was  known  to  some  of 
them,  at  least. 

The  command  given  by  the  angel  to  Lot  was  expressly  urgent : 
"  Escape  for  thy  life,  look  not  behind  thee,  neither  stay  thou  in  all  the 
plain;  escape  to  the  mountain  lest  thou  be  consumed."  Abi-aham, 
who  lived  in  his  tent  on  the  plain  of  Mamre,  having  been  informed  of 
the  purpose  of  God  with  reference  to  the  wickedness  of  those  cities, 
arose  early  in  the  morning,  ascended  to  the  peak  of  a  high  hill,  near 
his  tent,  and  looked  towards  Sodom.  He  saw  the  smoke  of  the  whole 
country  of  the  plain  going  "  up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace ;"  there  was 
naught  but  solitude  to  express  the  woe  that  had  been  brought  upon 
the  people  by  their  own  doings,  so  that  those  who  had  flourished  in  the 
morning,  prior  to  the  fatal  visitation  of  destruction,  were  all  dead  the 
following  morning,  except  righteous  Lot  and  his  two  daughters,  who 
had  found  a  safe  retreat.  Thus  ended  the  career  of  the  famous  cities 
of  the  plain,  whose  dreadful  doom  has  turned  the  attention  of  the  civil- 
ized world  to  the  renowned  Salt  Sea,  that  largely  covers  the  space 
where  once  lived,  the  proudest  and  most  sinful  people  of  their  genera- 
tion known  in  the  world. 

In  closing  this  chapter,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  present  one  or  two 
leading  thoughts,  upon  the  agents  used  to  accomplish  God's  purpose  in 
the  miraculous  overthrow  of  the  cities  of  the  plain  and  their  entire  in- 
habitants save  three.  This  fearful  and  complete  destruction,  visited 
upon  the  ill-fated  district,  is  presented  in  such  j^lain  words,  no  one  can 
fail  to  comprehend  them  if  they  will  pay  the  least  attention  to  their 
teachings. 

The  cities  with  their  inhabitants,  the  entire  surrounding  country, 
together  with  all  the  fruitful  fields  and  beautiful  pastures,  which  charmed 
Lot  and  so  attracted  him  he  dwelt  there,  and  all  the  glory  of  the  region 


198  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

round  about  were  overwhelmed  and  completely  destroyed  beneath  the 
devouring  flame  of  the  wrath  of  God.  It  is  written  in  unmistakable 
words  that,  '•  God  overthrew  the  cities,  and  all  the  plain,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  cities,  and  that  which  grew  upon  the  ground."  It  is 
noteworthy,  that  nothing  is  said,  in  the  narrative,  which  discloses  the 
most  wonderful  catastrophe,  of  water  as  an  agent  in  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion, in  the  form  of  a  flood  overwhelming  the  plain  as  some  would  dare 
assume ;  but  the  agent  at  work  was  fire  and  brimstone,  elements  that 
were  sure  and  speedy  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  work,  not  only  in 
the  destruction  of  man  and  beast,  but  to  the  ground ;  so  that  all  that 
was  beautiful,  rich  and  fruitful,  in  a  few  moments  became  barren  and 
dead.  The  people  and  the  land  on  which  they  dwelt  were  blotted  out 
of  existence  forever.  Scientific  men  have  indulged  much  speculation 
concerning  the  Dead  Sea,  and  the  cause  Avhich  brought  it  into  promi- 
nence, but  left  their  investigations  under  a  deep  cloud  of  supposition 
and  doubt.  But  when  we  consult  the  Sacred  Word,  the  only  true  and 
safe  guide,  we  must  conclude  that,  upon  the  borders  of  this  lonely  sea, 
Lot  made  choice  of  a  home  for  himself  and  all  his  possessions ;  that  it 
is  the  veritable  vale  of  Siddim  which  was  full  of  slime  pits,  and  into 
which  the  kings  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  fell.  These  kings  and  Lot 
were  captured  by  the  forces  of  Chedorlaomer,  but  were  recaptured  by 
Abraham  and  his  confederates.  Here  w^ere  situated  the  cities  of  the 
plain  whose  cup  of  wickedness  had  filled  to  overflow.  Somewhere 
within  the  limits  of  observation.  Lot  was  speeding  his  flight,  and  as  he 
ran,  he  found,  after  a  short  while,  his  wife  was  not  with  him  ;  her  heart 
longed  for  the  pleasures  of  Sodom,  and  she  was  turned  to  a  pillar  of 
salt.  These,  and  many  other  thoughts,  crowd  the  mind  of  the  visitor 
while  passing  through  this  district,  whose  sin-smitten  neighborhood  is 
still  forsaken  by  man  and  beast,  since  the  day  when  the  fiery  indigna- 
tion of  Jehovah  destroyed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

EARTHQUAKES'  WORK  OF  DESTRUCTION. 

The  district  has  been  repeatedly  visited  with  earthquakes ;  and 
there  are  hot  springs  near  the  shore,  which  continue  to  send  out  steam- 
ing hot  water,  much  like  that  coming  from  the  extinct  volcano  Solfatara, 
near  Pozzuoli,  Italy.  The  appearance  of  these  springs,  indicates  the 
existence,  of  a  fiery  chamber  somewhere  within  the  region  close  enough 
to  communicate  with  them.  Sulphur  has  been  plentiful  about  the 
sea-shore,  and  sometimes  a  small  lump  is  found  by  the  Bedouins ;  also 
bitumen,  or,  as  it  is  called,  asphaltum  is  often  found  in  large  quantities. 
It  is  said  after  the  earthquakes  it  is  seen  in  abundance  in  the  southern 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  199 

regions  of  the  sea ;  the  Arabs  gather  it,  after  it  becomes  hard  from  ex- 
posure to  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  find  ready  sale  for  it  in  Bethle- 
hem and  Jerusalem  to  the  relic  dealers.  There  is  but  little  of  this  sub- 
stance found  of  late.  It  may  be,  that  it  has  become  about  exhausted. 
But  the  evidences  of  the  past  eruptions  are  yet  prominent  along  the 
way  between  the  northen  shore  of  the  sea  and  the  Jordan.  This  region 
is  a  silent  witness  of  the  overthrow  of  the  cities  of  the  plain  as  narrated 
in  the  Bible. 

After  the  Israelites  settled  in  Canaan,  the  borderland  of  the  Dead 
Sea  was  a  familiar  battle-ground,  just  as  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  be- 
came later  on.  It  also  formed  the  boundaries  of  the  territory  of  some 
of  the  tribes,  as  is  indicated  in  our  introduction.  The  districts  round 
about  the  sea,  especially  those  on  the  east  and  west,  furnish  much  im- 
portant history,  showing  their  connection  with  som,e  of  the  most  inter- 
esting events  mentioned  in  the  early  history  of  the  Hebrews.  Lot  had 
two  sons,  Moab  and  Ammon,  whose  descendants  were  called  Moabites 
and  Ammonites,  respectively.  These  tribes  inhabited  the  valleys  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  the  descendants  of  Esau,  known  as 
Edomites,  lived  on  the  south  side.  They  were  a  powerful  people,  very 
numerous,  and  occupied  a  large  tract  of  country  which  extended  from 
the  southern  border  of  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  eastern,  or  Elamitic  Gulf 
of  the  Red  Sea,  embracing  a  district  about  one  hundred  miles  long 
and  fifteen  or  more  wide.  AVhen  they  grew  to  be  numerous  and  pow- 
erful, they  established  a  kingdom,  and  were  ruled  by  kings,  instead  of 
governors  and  princes,  as  they  formerly  had  been.  These  people  were 
bitterly  hostile  to  Israel  from  the  time  they  entered  their  borders  until 
the  time  of  their  subjugation  by  the  Romans,  and  were  ready  to  lend 
their  aid  to  any  foreign  power  who  came  up  against  Jerusalem.  When 
the  Israelites  were  journeying  to  Canaan  their  route  was  through  their 
confines,  and  as  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the  western  borders  of  Edom, 
they  were  confronted  and  refused  a  peaceful  passage  through  their 
country  to  Moab.  Then  the  children  of  Israel  forced  their  way 
through,  and  the  result  of  their  triumphs  purchased  the  enmity  of  the 
Edomites  against  them,  to  the  remotest  generation. 

THE  AMOEITES. 
About  the  time  these  sons  of  Esau  were  strongly  opposing  the 
children  of  Israel,  a  powerful  foe  came  up  against  the  descendants  of 
Lot,  who  were  living  on  the  southern  border  of  the  Dead  Sea,  drove 
them  back  eastward  and  southward,  establishing  themselves  in  the 
borderland  along  the  sea,  and  the  hilly  country  of  the  lower  Jordan. 


200  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

These  new  occupants,  who  supplanted  the  Ammonites  and  Moabites, 
were  the  Amorites  (Gen,  x.  16 ;  xix.  37),  a  powerful  tribe  who  de- 
scended from  Emer,  the  fourth  son  of  Canaan,  the  son  of  Ham.  It  is 
noteworthy  the  descendants  of  Ham  were  numerously  settled  in  those 
regions  on  the  east  and  south  sides  of  the  Dead  Sea,  as  well  as  through- 
out the  most  fertile  portions  of  Canaan.  The  Amorites  first  appeared 
in  small  communities  on  the  west  of  the  sea,  in  the  mountains  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Hebron,  but  rapidly  increased,  so  that  they  spread 
their  borders  and  took  possession  of  the  most  fertile  territory  of  the 
Moabites  and  Ammonites.  But  they  were  subdued  by  the  Israelites 
in  the  time  of  Moses,  while  Sihon  was  their  king  ;  their  provinces  on  the 
east  of  the  Jordan  were  allotted  to  Reuben,  and  those  on  the  west  were 
possessed  by  Judah.  It  is  of  great  historical  interest  to  travelers  to  make 
a  tour  around  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  especially  the  most  eventful 
portious  ;  it  will  enable  them  to  more  clearly  outline  the  districts  inhab- 
ited by  the  various  tribes  who  in  their  turn  possessed  them.  The  route  for 
those  visiting  the  Dead  Sea  from  Jericho,  with  the  intention  of  making 
a  tour  of  its  shores,  is  to  start  from  the  northern  bank  and  proceed 
south.  After  traveling  a  few  miles  a  point  is  reached  where  there  is  a 
break  in  the  high  mountains,  at  the  base  of  which,  a  small  stream  flows 
into  the  sea  ;  and  a  short  distance  up  the  valley,  among  the  cragged 
rocks,  are  hot  springs,  which  are  supposed  to  be  the  En-eglaim  of  Bible 
mention.  Here,  according  to  Josephus,  Herod  the  Great  came  a 
short  time  before  his  death,  seeking  in  vain  its  healing  virtues,  that  the 
loathsome  disease  which  had  seized  him  and  was  tormenting  his  life, 
might  be  exterminated. 

Proceeding  on  southward,  the  ancient  river  Arnon,  which  is  so 
greatly  renowned  in  history,  is  reached.  It  was  the  chief  river  east  of 
the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan,  at  one  period  ;  and  before  the  Amorites 
drove  out  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites,  it  formed  the  boundary  between 
those  tribes ;  later  on  it  marked  the  division  between  the  Amorites  and 
Moabites,  and  lastly  between  the  latter  and  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  who 
supplanted  the  Amorites.  Still  proceeding  a  few  miles  south,  the 
country  of  Moab  is  entered,  and  twelve  miles  farther  south  is  located  the 
site  of  ancient  Zoar,  the  little  city  to  which  Lot  fled.  It  may  be  seen 
from  the  above  description,  the  distance  from  Sodom  to  Zoar  was  many 
miles,  and  Lot  must  have,  of  necessity,  sped  his  journey  to  reach  the 
refuge,  before  the  storm  of  God's  indignation  came  upon  the  cities  he 
left  behind.  If  the  mountains  and  rivers  were  the  same  to-day  as 
when  Lot  was  making  his  flight  to  Zoar,  one  might  map  in  his  mind 
the  route  he  took  on  that  memorable  night.     From  the  northern  shore 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  201 

of  the  Dead  Sea,  which  we  have  made  our  starting  point,  and  follow- 
ing the  southern  shore  several  miles,  we  have  roughly  calculated  the 
distance  from  that  point  to  Zoar  to  be  thirty-two  miles.  But  is  is  not 
to  be  inferred,  Lot  had  that  distance  to  travel ;  in  the  first  place,  it  is 
not  known  which  of  the  cities  he  was  living  in  at  the  time  he  was  com- 
manded to  leave  ;  nor  how  close  that  city  was  to  the  place  of  his  escape. 
It  is  certain  some  of  them  were  farther  south  than  others,  and  Lot  may 
have  lived  in  one  of  the  most  southern  cities ;  if  so,  his  journey  was 
many  miles  shorter.  The  route  he  took  is  not  known.  Before  the 
physical  changes  took  place,  caused  by  earthquakes  and  natural 
developments,  there  were  doubtless  other  ways  leading  to  Zoar,  than 
that  commonly  traveled  at  present.  It  is  currently  stated,  that  along 
the  southern  end  of  the  western  shore  of  the  sea,  the  hills  which 
hitherto  margin  the  shore,  recede  far  in  the  distance,  and  gives  the  sea 
a  much  wider  space.  Here  the  water  is  shallow,  and  the  immediate 
space  connecting  with  the  shore  is  marshy,  and  very  hard  even  in  the 
best  places  to  travel.  In  the  summer  months  and  early  part  of  the  fall, 
when  the  usual  winter  flow  from  the  Jordan  and  the  Arnon  is  very 
much  reduced,  and  the  greatly  increased  heat  causes  greater  evapora- 
tions, the  sea  bordering  along  these  muddy  flats  becomes  dry,  and  a 
large  portion  of  the  shallow  margin  extending  into  it,  takes  the  place 
of  the  outer  shore.  Now  it  seems  clear  from  this  fact,  that  the  only 
outlet  to  the  Dead  Sea  is  the  immense  evaporations  and  the  spreading 
out  of  the  sea  over  several  miles  of  territory  on  the  southwestern  side, 
where  the  mountains  greatly  retire.  If  there  was  an  outlet,  through 
which  a  volume  of  water  flowed  from  the  bed  of  the  sea,  in  connection 
with  the  wonderful  evaporations  constantly  going  on,  the  decrease 
would  be  so  vastly  more  than  the  increase,  the  lowest  portion  of  the 
"  Vale  of  Siddim  "  would  be  visible  during  the  latter  part  of  the  hot 
season.  For  on  some  portions  of  the  shore  of  the  sea,  especially  the 
northern,  southern  and  eastern  shores,  salt  is  abundant ;  sometimes  lumps 
are  found  a  foot  or  more  thick.  This  shows  the  immense  evaporations 
which  absorb  the  water  and  fill  the  districts  around  for  miles  with  beds 
of  salt.  If  there  were  other  avenues  for  the  water  to  escape,  it  is 
plainly  seen  there  would  be  a  diminution,  so  great,  that  at  least  one-half 
of  the  water  would  be  drained  out.  For  when  the  decrease  is  greater 
than  the  increase,  the  chief  reservoir  must  become  exhausted  ;  and  if 
the  evaporations  are  suflScient  to  keep  the  present  increase  in  bounds 
a  subterranean  passage  would  exhaust  it. 

When  the  children   of  Israel  changed  their  government  into  a 
monarchy,  many  important  events  transpired,  on  or  near  the  shores  of 


202  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

the  Dead  Sea,  under  the  reign  of  different  kings  ;  and  those  tribes 
living  nearest  the  historic  lake,  were  the  most  prominently  active  in 
their  opposition  to  the  new  nation.  King  David,  the  man  of  war,  had 
several  touching  experiences  with  them,  and  subdued  all  the  nations 
round  about,  who  were  hostile  to  him.  The  tribes  east  and  west  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  also  submitted  to  his  authority,  after  several  bitter  conflicts 
had  proven  their  inability  to  contend  against  him.  These  new  acces- 
sions to  the  sceptre  of  David  brought  to  him  large  tax  incomes  and 
greatly  strengthened  the  government  revenue.  David's  reputation  as 
a  man  of  war,  had  been  so  widely  circulated,  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
the  mighty  men  feared  him ;  but  after  the  death  of  Solomon,  when  re- 
bellion and  rivalry  divided  the  nation,  those  tributary  states  began  to 
show  themselves  unwilling  to  remain  under  the  sceptre  of  the  Hebrew 
kings,  and  began  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  subordination  by  degrees, 
until  an  opportune  moment  came  for  them  to  strike  for  their  indepen- 
dence; at  length  they  became  so  bold,  they  were  not  content  with 
their  own  freedom,  but  remembering  their  past  subordinate  relation  to 
Israel,  endeavored  to  serve  them  in  like  manner. 

That  their  purpose  might  be  accomplished,  the  three  restless 
nations,  whose  former  territory  about  the  Dead  Sea  had  been  allotted 
to  the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad,  Manasseh  and  Judah,  formed  a  confed- 
eration, to  subdue  Israel.  These  restless  nations  were  the  Ammonites, 
the  Moabites  and  the  Edomites.  It  was  during  the  reign  of  Jehosha- 
phat,  that  these  governments  formed  a  confederacy,  to  overthrow  the 
kingdom  of  Judah,  in  the  most  secret  manner.  The  Ammonites 
marched  over  to  Moab,  and  were  joined  there  by  the  Moabites ;  then 
the  two  armies  went  over  and  joined  the  Edomites  near  Mount  Seir, 
and  the  three  potent  and  over-confident  armies,  marched  in  a  solid 
phalanx,  up  the  western  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  until  they  had  arrived 
at  the  Fountain  of  the  Kid. 

During  this  whole  journey,  it  seems,  their  march  was  not  observed 
or  known  to  the  people  of  Judah  until  they  came  to  Engedi.  Then 
the  approach  of  the  armies,  suddenly  burst  upon  the  sight  of  the 
people  and  filled  them  with  wild  dismay.  The  news  of  their  advance 
towards  Jerusalem  was  soon  dispatched  to  King  Jehoshaphat,  which 
greatly  alarmed  him.  The  following  was  the  announcement :  "  There 
cometh  a  great  multitude  against  thee  from  beyond  the  sea,  on  this 
side  of  Syria ;  and  behold  they  be  in  Hazazon-tamar,  which  is  Engedi." 
This  happened  just  at  the  time  when  hosts  of  people  had  gathered  from 
all  parts  of  his  kingdom  at  the  Temple,  and  the  king,  as  did  Solomon 
when  the  dedication  took  place,  led  the  services. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  DEAD  SEA.  203 

It  must  have  been  an  impressive  sight,  to  see  all  Judah  standing 
before  the  Lord  with  their  wives  and  children,  while  the  king  poured 
forth  his  supplications  to  the  Most  High,  a  part  of  which  was  as  fol- 
lows :  "  And  now  behold  the  children  of  Ammon,  and  Moab,  and  Mount 
Seir,  whom  Thou  wouldst  not  let  Israel  invade  when  they  came  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt,  but  they  turned  from  them  and  destroyed  them 
not ;  behold,  I  say,  now  they  reward  us;  they  come  and  cast  us  out  of 
our  possessions,  which  Thou  hast  given  us  to  inhabit.  O,  our  God,  wilt 
Thou  not  judge  them,  for  we  have  no  might  against  this  great  company 
that  Cometh  against  us,  neither  know  we  what  to  do ;  but  our  eyes  are 
upon  Thee." 

Just  at  this  stage  of  the  king's  prayer,  one  of  the  Levites  was  en- 
dowed with  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  And  in  those  moments  of  extreme 
alarm,  the  Lord  gave  a  message  of  blessed  consolation  to  the  king  and 
his  sorrow-stricken  people.  He  advised  them  to  go  out  to  meet  the 
confederate  forces  the  next  day ;  He  also  told  where  they  would  be 
found,  and  assured  the  king,  the  victory  would  be  given  Israel  without 
having  to  strike  a  blow.  He  said,  "  Behold  they  come  up  by  the  cliff 
of  Ziz ; "  which  is  a  rugged  pass  near  Engedi.  This  pleasing  prophecy 
greatly  encouraged  King  Jehoshaphat  and  the  people.  They,  having 
the  fullest  confidence  in  the  prediction  of  the  young  Levite,  went  out  the 
following  day  to  meet  the  invaders,  and  were  victorious.  The  Lord 
who  had  never  failed  to  come  to  the  help  of  Israel  when  they  prayed 
to  Him,  heard  their  supplication,  and  came  to  their  help  in  a  miracu- 
lous manner.  The  confederate  army,  having  learned  the  army  of  Israel 
was  approaching,  became  alarmed  and  blindly  confused,  so  that  they 
mistook  their  own  forces  for  Israel  and  began  to  slay  one  another  with 
great  slaughter,  and  fled  in  wild  confusion,  and,  as  had  been  predicted, 
the  Israelites  did  not  strike  a  blow  ;  their  enemies'  own  hands  destroyed 
them.  The  king  and  those  with  him,  having  seen  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy  in  the  destruction  of  the  enemy,  went  over  to  the  camp,  gath- 
ered the  spoil  and  returned  in  triumph  to  Jerusalem,  and  offered  up 
their  renewed  thanks  to  God  for  having  delivered  them  from  the  pow- 
erful hand  of  relentless  foes. 

JUDAH  AND  ISRAEL  COMBINE  AGAINST  MOAB. 

While  Jehoshaphat  yet  reigned  over  Judah,  and  Jehoram,  son  of 
Ahab,  was  king  over  Israel,  the  king  of  Moab,  who  had  been  burdened 
with  tax  by  Ahab,  concluded  to  throw  off  the  yoke  that  was  so  sorely 
pressing  him.  Jehoram,  feeling  himself  incompetent  for  the  pending 
crisis,  appealed  to  Jehoshaphat  to  assist  him  in  the  suppression  of  the 


204  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

rebellion,  which  he  readily  complied  with,  and  emphasized  his  willing- 
ness as  follows  :  "  I  will  go  up  :  I  am  as  thou  art,  my  people  as  thy 
people,  my  horses  as  thy  horses."  And  in  answer  to  Jehoram's  ques- 
tion, Jehoshaphat  advised  they  should  go  up  against  Moab  by  the  way 
of  the  wilderness  of  Edom,  which  was  a  little  to  the  south  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  bordering  on  Moab  and  is  known  as  Mt.  Seir.  It  must  have  been 
a  fatiguing  march  to  the  army ;  for  the  route  they  took  was  circuitous 
and  hard  to  travel,  requiring  at  least  seven  days'  steady  marching  to 
accomplish  the  journey.  Many  of  the  men  became  thirsty  and  dis- 
couraged because  there  was  no  water,  neither  for  themselves  nor  their 
beasts  ;  for  they  were  traveling  through  a  desert  country.  The  water 
supplies  they  had  provided  were  exhausted,  and  they  must  continue  on, 
through  the  wild  wilderness,  before  water  could  be  secured.  It  is  the 
case,  now  that  persons  passing  over  this  route  and  several  others  in  Pal- 
estine, must  take  a  supply  of  water  with  them  or  they  will  greatly 
suffer ;  and  if  the  want  of  a  little  water,  even  in  the  time  of  peace,  is  so 
discomforting,  what  must  have  been  the  distressing  situation  of  this  vast 
army  of  men  and  beasts,  who  were  worn  down  with  thirst,  passing  through 
the  wilderness  on  a  mission  of  war  !  They  found  themselves  in  a  peril- 
ous situation  ;  for  unless  they  obtained  water,  they  must  surely  perish. 
But  the  Lord,  who  is  at  all  times  equal  to  every  emergency,  informed 
the  discomfited  people  through  the  prophet  Elisha,  they  should  have  a 
plentiful  supply  of  water  the  next  day,  although  it  would  not  rain  ;  and 
in  the  morning,  as  had  been  predicted  by  the  prophet,  all  the  ditches 
were  filled  with  water.  The  Moabites,  looking  toward  the  plain  on  the 
borders  of  the  Dead  Sea  early  in  the  morning,  just  as  the  sun  was  re- 
flecting its  light  over  the  valley,  saw  the  water  in  the  trenches  the 
Israelites  had  prepared  the  previous  day,  and  supposed  it  to  be  blood, 
for  it  had  a  blood-red  appearance  to  them,  because  of  the  peculiar  re- 
flection of  the  sun.  They  seeing  this,  said  to  each  other,  they  have 
smitten  one  another,  and  at  the  same  time  they  may  have  remembered 
their  own  mistake  at  Engedi,  how  they  slew  one  another  instead  of 
Israel,  and  supposed  they  made  a  similar  fatal  attack  upon  them- 
selves. 

Feeling  assured  Israel  had  been  its  own  destroyer,  the  Moabites 
came  down  from  their  heights  to  capture  the  residue  and  gather  the 
spoil,  but  were  seized  with  wild  dismay  when  they  saw  the  hosts  of 
Israel  in  battle  array.  The  panic-stricken  Moabites  fled  in  great  haste 
and  confusion.  This  was  another  signal  victory  the  Lord  gave  Israel 
on  the  old  battle-ground  near  the  Dead  Sea,  where  on  other  occasions 
He  showed  His  love  for  that  people,  notwithstanding  they  so  often 


FROM  JEEUSALEM  TO  THE  JOEDAN.  205 

rebelled  against  Him.  Just  at  the  time  the  Moabites  were  indulging 
in  exalted  expectation,  of  reaping  bountiful  spoils  from  the  camp  of 
Israel,  near  the  Salt  Sea,  where  they  had  stationed  themselves,  they 
were  driven  into  confusion  and  into  the  jaws  of  death.  They  were  not 
only  driven  from  the  field,  but  pursued  into  their  own  stronghold  ;  for 
they  were  shut  up  in  their  capital  city,  Kir-haraseth,  one  of  the  most  care- 
fully fortified  of  all  their  cities.  It  may  be  seen,  therefore,  the  Dead 
Sea  is  not  only  famous  because  it  occupies  at  least  a  large  portion  of 
territory,  on  which  the  cities  of  the  plain  stood,  but  also  for  the  many 
memorable  battles  fought  along  its  border,  and  the  manifestation  of 
God's  power  in  fighting  for  Israel.     (2  Kings  iii.) 

THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  JORDAN. 

The  Jordan  Valley,  so  named  because  of  the  great  historic  river 
that  flows  through  it,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  ravines  in  Palestine. 
It  has  been  several  times  explored  by  some  of  the  most  expert 
scientists  of  our  globe,  and  has  provoked  many  very  earnest  discussions 
as  to  the  prime  physical  causes  of  its  formation,  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  depressions  in  the  world.  It  is  situated 
between  the  Sea  of  Galilee  on  the  north  and  the  Dead  Sea  on  the  south  ; 
its  width  is  from  five  to  ten  miles,  the  widest  portion  being  at  Jericho, 
where  it  is  known  as  the  Plain  of  Jericho  ;  here  it  assumes  the  appear- 
ance of  a  tremendous  expanse,  inclosed  on  the  east  and  west  by 
mammoth  mountainous  ridges,  known  as  the  mountains  of  temjjtation, 
and  those  of  the  spies.  These  heights  are  barren,  rugged,  and  steep. 
On  the  south  the  Dead  Sea  appears  like  a  continuation  of  the  plain; 
but  in  the  distance  it  has  every  appearance  of  a  beautiful  little  lake. 
Its  northern  bank  is  nearly  level  with  the  water  and  therefore  has 
a  similar  resemblance  to  the  plain  at  first  sight  on  approaching  it. 

The  present  aspect  of  the  Plain  of  Jericho  is  not  to  be  compared 
with  that  described  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  by  Josephus.  He 
pronounced  it  the  most  beautiful  tract  of  country  in  the  entire  district 
of  Judea,  a  blessed  region  full  of  fatness ;  and  in  referring  to  the 
fountain  of  Elisha,  he  said  it  watered  the  country  seventy  stadia  long  by 
twenty  broad,  covered  with  luxuriant  gardens  and  palm  groves  It 
was  so  thickly  studded  with  these  orchards,  it  was  called  the  "  City  of 
Palm  Trees."  But  this  product  of  the  land,  which  was  so  greatly 
esteemed  by  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  that  once  proud  city,  has 
passed  from  its  borders,  and  the  thorny  bramble  and  other  small  trees 
have  taken  their  places.  All  the  rich  products  which  so  bountifully 
flourished,  have  seemingly  fallen  with  the  city  never  to  rise  again. 


206  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

The  Jordan  valley  is  remarkable  as  to  its  physical  situation,  when 
compared  to  other  deep  ravines  in  that  country  and  in  the  world.  Its 
surface  is  estimated  to  be  six  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, at  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  continues  increasing  in  depth 
southward,  so  that  at  the  Dead  Sea,  its  depression  has  the  enormous 
depth  of  thirteen  hundred  and  twelve  feet  below  the  western  sea. 

This  tremendous  valley,  the  most  remarkable  for  depth  in  the 
world,  on  its  extreme  southern  terminus,  has  puzzled  the  most  expert 
geologists  on  the  globe,  in  their  endeavors  to  investigate  the  physical 
causes  that  produced  it;  and  various  theories  have  been  drawn  as  a 
result  of  their  opinions,  the  most  acceptable  of  which  is  that  given  by 
the  Palestine  exploration  survey,  found  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of 
Condor's  "  Tent  Work."  They  have  concluded  that  "  a  violent  and  sud- 
den collapse  of  the  Avhole  of  the  Jordan  valley,  south  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  probably  occurred  at  a  late  geological  period,  and  that  was 
followed  by  a  further  catastrophe  of  considerably  later  date,  caused  by 
volcanic  action."  It  is  also  thought  by  others,  from  certain  develop- 
ments, that  the  Dead  Sea,  at  some  distant  period,  extended  much  further 
north  than  at  present.  This  oj)inion  is  drawn  from  the  fact  that  four 
distinct  beaches  have  been  discovered.  The  first  is  about  thirty  feet 
above  the  present  high-water  mark,  and  the  others  are  situated  one, 
two  and  four  hundred  feet  from  each  other.  Others  have  drawn  the 
theory  that  the  Dead  Sea  had  assumed  its  present  proportions  before 
the  age  of  man.  Therefore,  it  is  impossible  for  the  cities  of  the  j^lain 
to  have  occupied  the  space  or  any  part  now  covered  by  it.  The  above 
theories  clearly  show  the  inability  of  scientific  men  to  produce  abso- 
lute harmony,  by  their  investigations,  independent  of  Divine  revelation, 
although  they  earnestly  endeavor  to  do  so,  and  that  God's  word  is  the 
only  true  and  safe  guide  for  mankind.  The  Bible  teaches,  that  at  least 
a  portion  of  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  stood  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  Dead  Sea.  Now  we  know  that  in  the  time  of  Lot 
this  was  the  most  fertile  of  all  the  land  in  southern  Palestine ;  and  so 
inviting  that  cities  had  been  built  upon  the  plain,  and  thousands  of 
inhabitants  lived  in  them,  and  were  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition. 
Taking  into  account  the  character  of  the  sea,  that  it  is  destructive  to 
vegetation  and  human  life,  it  is  nut  likely,  the  people  in  those  times 
would  have  made  choice  of  the  most  deadly  tract  of  country  in  the 
whole  land,  to  establish  their  cities,  when  they  could  have  made  choice 
of  other  sites  more  healthy.  Again,  we  are  taught  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, these  regions  were  flourishing  with  fruits,  pastures  and  vegeta- 
tion.    We  are  just  here  very  forcibly  reminded  of  the  stupendous 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  THE  JORDAN.  207 

question  of  the  Scriptures,  "  Can  a  man  by  searching  find  out  God?  " 
and  the  declaration,  "As  high  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth,  so 
are  my  ways  above  thy  ways,  and  my  thoughts  above  thy  thoughts." 
From  the  fact  that  men  of  the  most  progressive  science  differ  in  opinion, 
as  to  the  origin  and  character  of  things,  and  if  these  extraordinarily 
profound  matters,  with  which  they  have  interested  themselves,  are  hid- 
den from  them,  it  is  clearly  evident  that  they  are  not  to  be  relied  upon 
in  their  conclusions,  of  things  of  a  graver  and  more  intricate  nature. 
But  historians  have  been  greatly  aided  in  their  investigations,  so  as  to 
understand  much  that  has  been  tangled,  by  having  acquired  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  native  tongue  ;  so  that  many  words  of  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage, when  compared  with  corresponding  words  in  English,  furnish  a 
key  to  the  original  meaning.  Take,  for  example,  the  Arabic  word  for 
shelves,  or  beaches,  as  above  referred  to  ;  it  is  Lidd.  This  is  found  to 
be  a  derivation  of  the  term  Vale  of  Siddim.  It  is  plain,  therefore,  if 
the  Vale  of  Siddim  was  located  at  the  southern  end  of  the  plain  of 
Jericho,  there  can  exist  no  reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  site  of  the  cities 
of  the  plain,  which  must  have  been  situated  on  the  north.  The  great 
depressions  of  the  plain,  being  protected  on  each  side  by  lofty  moun- 
tains, render  the  climate  the  hottest  of  any  in  Palestine,  which  emi- 
nently qualified  it  for  the  growth  of  palm  trees  and  other  highly 
esteemed  fruits,  such  as  are  produced  only  in  very  warm  countries. 

It  is  stated,  that  during  the  time  of  the  crusaders'  control  of  Pales- 
tine, sugar  cane  was  cultivated  in  the  plain  of  Jericho,  and  it  was 
during  that  period  the  aqueducts  and  pointed  arches  were  constructed. 
Remnants  of  them  are  still  partially  standing  at  the  entrance  of  the 
"  bloody  pass  "  coming  up  from  the  city  of  palm  trees.  At  this  period, 
under  the  activity  of  the  crusaders  who  made  an  effort  to  restore  the 
former  fertility  of  that  region,  and  make  it  again  the  garden  of  Pales- 
tine, much  time  and  labor  were  spent  to  reinstate  it,  but  they  were  not 
successful.  It  is  at  present  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Arabs,  who  seem 
to  know  but  little  about  cultivation,  and  care  less ;  therefore,  much  of 
the  best  land,  that,  with  a  little  care,  would  produce  good  crops  is  not 
noticed.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  plain  of  Jericho  would  be 
more  fruitful  than  any  portion  of  the  country  between  Jerusalem  and 
the  Jordan,  if  those  controlling  it  would  bestir  themselves  a  little  more 
industriously.  It  is  in  my  mind,  only  a  question  of  comparatively  short 
time,  before  this  valley  will  bloom  again  as  a  rose.  These  miserable 
offensive  Arabs  will  be  crowded  out,  by  an  industrious  people  from 
Europe,  who  are  already  settling  in  various  portions  of  the  country  in 
small  communities,  and  producing  fine  crops  in  those  districts  that  for 


208  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

a  long  while  were  left  idle.  I  suppose  those  rich  fields  would  have 
been  settled  upon  long  since,  had  it  not  been  for  the  dangerous  barriers, 
which  must  in  time  be  removed. 

THE  EIVER  JOEDAN. 

The  Jordan  is  the  most  distinguished  river  in  Palestine,  and  one  of 
the  most  noted  in  the  world.  Its  name  is  said  to  be  a  compound  of 
Jar  or  Yar,  and  Dan,  because  its  rise  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Dan.  It  is 
the  chief  river  in  Canaan,  and  runs  from  north  to  south,  dividing  the 
country  into  two  parts ;  the  larger  portion  is  on  the  west  and  is  the 
most  important.  There  are  two  streams  claimed  to  be  the  sources  of 
the  Jordan,  one  is  at  Barket-es-Ram,  known  in  the  writings  of  Josephus, 
as  Phiala,  from  its  bowl-like  shape.  For  a  long  while  this  was  supposed 
to  be  its  chief  and  highest  source.  The  water  running  from  it  is  slimy 
and  offensive.  It  has  been  found  since,  the  main  source  is  a  spring  of 
considerable  size,  which  issues  a  stream  from  the  western  base  of  a  Tell 
(Hill)  at  Dan.  This  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  largest  fountains  in  the 
world,  and  without  doubt  the  largest  in  either  Syria  or  Palestine.  It 
will  be  called  to  mind  that  Dan  is  the  most  northern  point  occupied 
by  the  Israelites.  At  Banaias  or  Csesarea  Philippi,  not  far  from  the 
site  on  which  once  stood  a  shrine  erected  to  the  god  Pan,  is  a  great 
cave  called  Rasen-neb,  regarded  as  the  "  fountain  head."  From  this 
fountain  runs  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Jordan.  It  is  situated  on  the 
side  of  a  perpendicular  cliff  estimated  to  be  one  hundred  feet  high. 
These  three  fountains  have  been  the  prime  feeders  of  the  great  historic 
river  ever  since  its  name  has  been  known  to  man,  or  has  had  a  begin- 
ning in  the  world.  The  river  Jordan  is  without  a  parallel  on  the 
globe.  It  is  shut  in  from  the  great  western  sea  by  high  mountains,  and 
pours  its  contents  into  the  great  Salt  Sea,  at  the  lowest  point  of  surface 
known  in  the  world,  it  being  thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of 
the  sea  on  its  west  side.  It  gathers  the  water  from  the  melting  snows 
along  the  highland  as  it  proceeds  south,  and  thus  became  a  stream  of 
considerable  size.  The  length  of  the  Jordan  from  its  source  to  its 
mouth,  if  it  continued  in  a  direct  line,  would  be  about  one  hundred 
and  four  miles ;  but  because  of  its  tortuous  course,  it  travels  two  hun- 
dred miles  before  it  reaches  its  terminus  at  the  Dead  Sea.  It  runs 
rapidly  down  a  continuous  plain,  interrupted  at  different  stages  by 
twenty-seven  cataracts.  It  is  not  traveled  by  vessels,  and  there  is  not 
a  flourishing  city  along  its  banks,  as  is  commonly  the  case  in  other  lands. 
But  instead  of  lively  towns  and  cities  along  the  border  land,  the  olean- 
der, the  tamarisk  bushes  and  the  willow,  are  plentifully  seen  fringing 


<: 

Q 
K 
O 

H 
O 


UJ 


FROM  BETHLEHEM  TO  THE  JORDAN.  209 

the  banks  forming  a  deep  border ;  the  weeds  and  bush-wood  grow 
uninterruptedly  and  have  become  so  very  thick,  a  person  has  much 
difficulty  to  work  his  way  through  them.  These  closely  grown  thickets 
affoi'd  convenient  homes  for  beasts  of  prey.  The  wild  boar  and  the 
leopard  frequent  them.  Therefore,  it  is  highly  important  that  great 
caution  is  observed  by  all  who  pass  through  this  trackless  mass. 

The  half-savage  Bedouin,  whose  chief  ambition  is  to  plunder  and 
steal  whenever  an  opportunity  is  presented,  often  finds  it  unsafe  to 
enter  this  wild  forest  alone,  although  he  would  find  a  safe  retreat  from 
those  who  may  be  in  pursuit  of  him.  Jericho  is  about  ten  miles  west 
of  the  Jordan,  and  is  the  only  place  of  importance  along  the  valley 
until  the  Sea  of  Galilee  is  reached,  on  the  shore  of  which  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Tiberias  stands.  From  the  above  outline  it  may  be  seen  that 
the  banks  of  the  Jordan  possess  no  charms  of  interest ;  and  were  it  not 
that  the  traveler  is  on  the  margin  of  the  river  where  some  of  the  most 
remarkable  events  known  to  the  world  took  place,  no  one  would  care 
to  waste  time  and  means  in  traversing  its  borders.  But  the  historical 
associations  connected  with  the  Jordan  are  so  full  of  interest,  one  who 
travels  its  shores  for  the  sake  of  informing  himself  as  to  location  where 
these  wonders  took  place,  does  not  take  any  account  of  the  labor  and 
trouble  of  the  journey.  The  traveler  becomes  more  deeply  impressed 
with  the  many  events  prominently|narrated  in  the  Bible,  that  occurred 
at  the  Jordan,  by  visiting  the  scenes  where  they  took  place.  He  may 
think  of  Lot,  who,  being  allured  by  the  richness  of  the  plain  along 
which  it  flows,  because  it  was  well  watered  and  full  of  verdure,  sought 
its  benefits.  And  to  these  fords,  came  the  great  army  of  Hebrews,  after 
their  wanderings  of  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  and  crossed  over  on 
dry  ground,  until  all  the  people  were  passed  to  the  other  side,  to  pos- 
sess the  goodly  land  which  the  Lord  had  chosen  for  them  to  dwell  in. 
Their  crossing  was  miraculous  and  a  most  striking  evidence  of  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  This  wonderful  event  occurred  at  a  season 
when  the  fords,  where  it  was  usually  shallow  and  easy  to  cross,  were 
swelled  so  greatly  that  no  one  could  pass  them.  For  it  was  during  the 
April  harvest,  when  the  overflow  of  the  inner  banks,  had  caused  the 
water  to  flood  the  whole  space  between  the  outer  and  inner  banks. 
This  overflow  visits  the  Jordan  annually,  and  is  caused  by  the  melting 
of  the  snow  on  Mounts  Hermon,  Lebanon  and  the  neighboring  high- 
lands. The  sudden  breaking  up  of  the  ice  and  snow  rushes  into  the 
river  and  causes  it  to  swell  rapidly,  so  that  its  inner  banks  cannot  con- 
tain the  volume  of  water  passing  between  them.  "  For  Jordan  over- 
floweth  all  her  banks  all  the  time  of  harvest,  that  the  water  which 
14 


210  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

came  down  from  above  stood,  and  rose  a  great  way  off,  at  Adam,  the 
city  tliat  is  beside  Zaretan :  and  those  that  went  down  toward  the  sea 
of  the  Arabah,  even  the  Salt  sea,  were  wholly  cut  off;  and  the  people 
went  over  right  against  Jericho."  Here  also  Elijah  and  Elisha  crossed; 
on  that  memorable  day  the  Jordan  was  divided,  by  a  single  stroke  of 
the  prophet  with  his  mantle,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  It  is  noteworthy 
that  the  Jordan  was  commonly  fordable  during  the  dry  seasons,  when 
the  water  was  low  at  the  fords.  Jacob,  David,  Abner,  Absalom,  and 
thousands  of  others  crossed  the  Jordan  after  Israel  entered  the  land  of 
Canaan.  It  was  a  common  thing  for  the  Jews,  living  in  the  northern 
and  southern  districts,  Avhose  prejudice  would  not  give  consent  for  them 
to  pass  through  Samaria,  to  cross  the  Jordan  when  visiting  each  other 
both  on  business  and  social  relations.  At  present  the  inhabitants  on 
either  side  of  the  Jordan,  cross  it  at  the  fords  as  often  as  their  business 
demands,  during  the  ^dry  or  summer  season.  They  know  the  time 
when  the  "  swellings  of  Jordau  "  ibrbid  the  passing  of  any  one  Then 
even  those  who  are  most  expert  in  crossing  at  such  a  stage  of  the  water, 
that  hundreds  would  not  dare  venture,  would  not  attempt  to  pass  over 
at  the  shallowest  ford,  fearing  they  would  be  swept  away  with  the  tor- 
rent. It  may  be  inferred,  therefore,  it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for 
men  to  cross  the  Jordan,  as  it  is  an  ordinary  custom.  But  it  is  not  in 
any  natural  way  possible  to  cross  during  the  season  of  the  overflow. 
And  nothing  but  a  miracle  wrought  by  the  Almighty  could  enable  a 
person  to  do  so.  Had  the  Israelites  crossed  at  the  time  the  river  is 
usually  fordable,  there  would  have  been  no  reason  for  surprise,  for  it 
would  have  been  crossed  just  as  the  people  ordinarily  did  at  that  season. 
(Joel  iii.  15,  16.)  But  crossing  as  they  did  at  the  time  of  the  great 
overflow,  and  the  miraculous  circumstances  connected  with  the  event  of 
their  passage,  make  it  a  most  stupendous  wonder.  The  ark  was  carried 
by  the  priests  who  were  in  advance  of  the  people,  and  a  monument  of 
stones  was  built  in  the  midst  of  the  Jordan,  in  the  place  where  priests 
who  bore  the  ark  stood,  and  the  forty  thousand  prepared  for  war, 
"  passed  over  before  the  Lord  unto  battle  to  the  plain  of  Jericho." 

Again,  when  Gideon  went  out  against  the  Midianites,  he  lay  in  wait 
for  them  at  the  fords ;  and  there  the  men  of  Gilead  slew  the  men  of 
Ephraim  ;  and  here  David  crossed  and  found  refuge  in  ]\Iahanaim. 
But  none  crossed  at  the  time  of  the  overflow.  There  are  several  tribu- 
taries to  the  Jordan  ;  the  largest  one,  between  its  source  and  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  is  Lake  Merom,  or  Hulek,  from  whence  it  flows  with  increased 
rapidity  and  volume  into  the  Lake  Gennesaret,  through  which  it  passes, 
exhibiting  most  clearly  the  course  of  its  passage.     My  attention  was 


FROM  BETHLEHEM  TO  THE  JORDAN.  211 

drawn  to  the  beautiful  line  formed  througli  tlie  lake  from  north  to 
south,  while  standing  on  the  shore  at  Capernaum,  and  it  attracted  me 
so,  I  for  a  while  was  completely  absorbed  in  admiration,  for  it  seemed 
so  strange,  that  the  Jordan  could  flow  thi'ough  a  body  of  water  as 
large  as  the  Sea  of  Tiberias  as  if  confined  within  the  limits  of  its  banks, 
without  being  at  least  partly  hidden  from  view.  There  is  a  continuous 
depression  in  the  course  of  the  Jordan  from  its  northern  extremity  to 
its  mouth.  During  the  whole  distance  of  its  passage,  it  falls  twenty- 
three  hundred  feet ;  seventeen  hundred  feet  of  this  fall  is  embraced  in 
the  first  twenty-seven  miles,  that  is,  from  its  source  to  the  Sea  of 
Tiberias ;  this  gives  it  an  average  fall  of  about  sixty -three  feet  to  the 
mile  in  its  upper  course,  and  eight  feet  in  the  lower.  Therefore,  the 
first  fall  of  twenty-seven  miles  is  very  abrupt,  but  the  greater  distance 
is  gradual ;  it  also  becomes  deeper  and  wider  during  the  winter  rains. 
At  this  season  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  river  to  be  from  eighty  to 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  wide,  and  from  five  to  twelve  feet  deep. 
Then  the  water  becomes  very  muddy  on  account  of  the  collection  of 
clay  it  gathers  from  the  banks.  Those  who  visit  the  Jordan  from  Jer- 
usalem, usually  take  luncheon  at  the  ford  opposite  Jericho,  which  is 
the  traditional  site  of  the  crossing  of  the  Israelites ;  and  some  say, 
our  Lord  was  baptized  at  or  near  the  same  place  ;  and  that  Elijah 
crossed  here  with  Elisha,  when  he  was  taken  to  heaven.  It  is  an  inex- 
pressible pleasure,  to  the  Bible  student,  to  have  the  privilege  of  visiting 
the  shore  of  the  Jordan  and  its  historic  fords,  with  the  Bible  and  guide- 
book, scanning  the  narratives  of  events  having  transpired  at  the  place 
where  he  stands,  or  near  by. 

In  connection  with  others,  he  might  fix  his  mind  on  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  who  crossed  here  at  the  lower  ford  opposite  Gilgal,  and  the 
return  of  the  young  prophet  alone  to  the  same  crossing,  for  his  father 
had  been  taken  up  in  a  chariot,  and  the  only  thing  belonging  to  him, 
in  the  keeping  of  Elisha,  was  the  familiar  mantle.  With  this  precious 
relic  the  young  man  came  in  triumph  to  the  Jordan,  which  had  as- 
sumed the  same  attitude  it  presented  when  he  first  approached  it  in 
company  with  Elijah  ;  but  remembering  how  the  water  parted  when 
his  father  smote  it,  and  having  unshaken  faith  in  the  same  God,  Elisha 
stood  on  the  east  bank,  while  the  young  men,  who  came  to  witness  the 
miracle,  sat  on  the  west,  looking  on,  and  Elisha  struck  Jordan  with  the 
same  instrument,  and  said,  "  Where  is  the  Lord  God  of  Elijah !"  and 
again  Jordan  parted  to  allow  the  young  prophet  a  passage  over  it. 
The  young  men  who  so  eagerly  watched  the  movement  of  Elisha,  hav- 
ing seen  the  miraculous  display  of  the  power  of  God  working  in  him, 


212  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

proclaimed  :  "  The  spirit  of  Elijah  doth  rest  on  Elisha."  From  that 
auspicious  moment,  the  young  man  who  had  left  his  plow  and  parents, 
to  follow  the  man  of  God  became  his  successor,  and  went  forth  in  the 
strength  of  God,  working  wonders,  and  delivering  such  messages  to 
men.  whether  kings  or  peasants,  as  were  given  him  from  God.  One,  in 
a  highly  spiritual  state,  may  imagine,  at  times,  while  standing  on  the 
bank  of  the  Jordan,  he  can  see  the  wonderful  event  taking  place. 

At  the  brink  of  this  river  came  Naaman  the  Syrian,  burdened  with 
a  loathsome  disease.  Being  directed  hither  by  Elisha  that  he  might 
be  healed,  and  be  persuaded  thereby,  that  there  is  no  other  suj^reme 
being  but  the  God  of  Israel,  the  advice  given  him  by  the  prophet  was 
simple  and  at  first  disregarded.  "  Go  wash  in  Jordan  seven  times," 
was  the  recommendation  of  Elisha  to  the  captain.  But  he  despised 
this  counsel,  and  would  have  returned  home,  filled  with  indignation, 
had  not  one  of  his  attendants  urged  him  to  try  the  remedy.  Being 
finally  persuaded,  he  dipped  himself  seven  times  in  this  historic  river, 
and  was  every  whit  whole ;  for  his  "  flesh  was  like  unto  a  little  child's  " 
But  while  these  events  referred  to,  are  stupendously  wonderful,  they 
are  but  stepping-stones  to  those  of  which  the  New  Testament  gives  ac- 
count.    2  Kings  ii.  1-15. 

JOHN  THE  BAPTIST'S  VISIT  AND  WORK  THERE. 

Here  at  this  Jordan  and  near  (according  to  tradition)  where  I 
took  luncheon  at  the  ford,  the  voice  of  John  the  Baptist  "  was  heard 
preaching  in  the  wilderness,"  in  tones  so  awakening  that  all  Judea  and 
Jerusalem  came  down  to  hear  him,  and  he  baptized  them,  confessing 
their  sins.  It  was  along  the  western  bank  of  this  Jordan,  that  our 
Lord  came  walking,  to  be  introduced  to  the  multitude  that  had  as- 
sembled to  hear  John,  and  to  enter  more  fully  upon  the  work  of  His 
divine  mission.  It  was  while  Jesus  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  Jordan, 
that  the  heavens  opened  and  the  Holy  Spirit  descended,  looking  like  a 
dove,  and  lit  upon  Him.  Here  our  Lord  made  the  river  memorable 
forever,  by  having  the  rite  of  sacred  baptism  performed  upon  Him  by 
John. 

It  is  proper  to  state,  there  exists  a  division  of  opinion  as  to  the  site 
where  these  latter  events  took  place  ;  one  tradition  favors  the  lower 
ford  opposite  Jericho,  near  the  crossing  of  the  Israelites ;  another  has 
settled  upon  the  next  ford  on  the  north,  as  the  place.  But  the  old 
crossing  opposite  Gilgal,  is  the  place  generally  believed  to  be  the  origi- 
nal site,  and  here  hundreds  of  pilgrims  come  every  year  and  take  a 
bath,  after  the  close  of  the  Easter  Festival.     We  were  informed  that 


FEOM  BETHLEHEM  TO  THE  JOKDAN.  213 

they  rush  to  the  Jordan  in  great  crowds — sometimes  a  thousand  or 
more — and  without  ceremony,  or  even  halting ;  without  doubting  or 
intimidation  ;  without  taking  off  any  of  their  clothing,  they  plunge 
into  the  muddy,  yet  sacred  stream  ;  then  they  vigorously  and  prayer- 
fully bathe ;  then  lie  down,  with  a  hope  that  the  new  baptism  wiU 
cleanse  them  from  whatever  stains  of  sin  they  may  possess  and  will 
bring  to  them  many  blessings. 

It  is  certain,  if  their  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  whose  example  they 
attempt  to  follow,  is  as  strong  as  it  is  in  the  Jordan,  they  will  not  come 
short  of  the  blessings  they  so  ardently  seek.  The  clothing  in  which 
they  bathe  is  supposed  to  be  made  holy  by  the  cleansing  influence  of 
the  water,  therefore  they  are  carefully  preserved,  to  be  used  only  to 
bury  them  in  as  their  Avinding-sheet ;  and  they  also  indulge  in  the  an- 
ticipation of  entering  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city  of  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  in  the  sacred  garments  with  which  they  bathed  in  the 
Jordan. 

The  Oriental  pilgrims  who  visit  the  sacred  sites  in  Palestine  from 
far-distant  lands  seldom  have  more  than  one  opportunity  to  do  so  in 
life,  and  they  esteem  it  next  to  the  hope  they  entertain  of  heaven.  It 
is  the  same  case  with  the  Moslems ;  it  is  enjoined  upon  all  the  followers 
of  Mohammed,  to  visit  Mecca  at  least  once  in  life,  even  at  a  tremendous 
sacrifice ;  and  inany  spend  the  last  mite  they  possess  to  comply  with 
this  rule.  And  so  the  Greeks  have  a  similar  rule  for  the  adherents  to 
their  faith.  This  is  the  reason  the  many  thousands  go  up  to  Jerusalem, 
from  remote  parts  of  the  world,  feeling  it  to  be  their  duty  if  possible 
to  make  the  pilgrimage,  confidently  believing  it  will  be  of  spiritual 
benefit  to  them.  It  so  happens  at  times  some  of  these  people  are  un- 
able to  return  to  their  homes,  both  those  who  go  to  Jerusalem  and  to 
Mecca.  It  seems  that  the  people  in  the  far  East  and  Palestine  take 
great  delight  in  carrying  out  their  obligiations  to  the  church,  however 
great  a  sacrifice  they  must  make  to  perform  them.  This  example 
should  be  noted.  But  if  we  properly  look  into  the  conduct  of  these 
devotees,  we  will  see  the  necessity  of  a  general  circulation  of  the  Holy 
Bible  and  a  proper  instruction  of  its  teachings.  It  may  be  seen  from 
their  custom  that  the  old  Jewish  idea  is  still  indulged  by  many  of  the 
Gentiles,  especially  the  ancient  custom  of  going  up  to  Jerusalem  to 
worship.  While  they  do  not  hold  to  the  opinion,  it  is  the  only  place 
to  engage  themselves  in  sacred  devotion,  they  do  believe  a  visit  there, 
and  to  the  holy  shrines  and  sacred  places,  adds  greatly  to  their  stand- 
ing in  heaven  ;  and  like  the  Samaritans  of  old,  wlio  supposed  Mount 
Gerizim  was  the  most  acceptable  place  to  worship,  so  the  Moham- 


214  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

medans  believe  Mecca  is  the  most  sacred  spot  on  the  whole  earth,  and 
they  must  by  all  means  go  there  once  in  life  to  bow  at  the  shrines  and 
kiss  the  tomb  in  which  this  illustrious  founder's  remains  were  depos- 
ited. By  so  doing  they  think  it  will  bring  to  them  blessings,  such  as 
nothing  else  can.  These  gravely  sad  errors  obtain  because  the  Holy 
Bible  is  not  generally  circulated  among  these  peojDle,  as  well  as 
a  great  lack  of  receiving  proj^er  instruction  from  those  in  whom  they 
confide  as  teachers.  These  are  plain  cases  of  "  blind  leading  the  blind." 
But  the  Holy  Bible,  the  Book  of  books,  opens  the  understanding  of 
all  who  will  consent  to  abide  by  its  teachings.  It  is  suited  to  all  men, 
of  all  ages  and  conditions.  We  learn  that  the  wise,  the  ignorant  and 
poor,  the  humble  and  despised,  all  may  draw  bountiful  supplies  fi'om 
its  inexhaustible  fullness  without  fear,  for  all  are  welcome.  It  is  not, 
as  many  may  think,  a  mere  pastoral  book,  or  one  that  is  adapted  to 
certain  classes  who  live  in  cities  and  towns,  who  may  read  it  merely 
for  historical  information,  but  it  is  given  to  all  men  ;  to  the  end  they 
may  have  an  abiding  knowledge  of  the  will  of  God  and  be  conducted 
in  the  path  of  holiness  ;  its  various  forms  of  conveying  the  truth  adapts 
itself  to  all  j^hases  of  human  condition,  and  these  diversified  forms  of 
truth,  at  once  commend  their  teachings  to  man  as  the  word  of  the  great 
and  all-wise  God,  and  impress  him  that  it  is  not  needful  he  should  go 
to  Jerusalem,  nor  to  Mecca,  to  worship,  but  in  every  place  where  men 
call  upon  the  Lord,  He  will  hear  them  and  come  to  their  help.  Again, 
the  Holy  Bible  has  helped  men  as  nothing  else  could,  in  developing 
much  ancient  history  which  would  not  have  been  understood  without 
it.  For  this  most  precious  of  all  books,  like  the  inscriptions  carved  on 
tombstones,  tells  the  story  of  the  past. 

NEBO  AND   PISGAH. 

We  might  pass  from  one  part  of  Palestine  to  another,  viewing  its 
rivers,  seas,  brooks  and  the  various  places  of  historical  value,  and 
would  know  but  little,  if  anything,  of  the  wonderful  events  that  took 
place  there,  had  not  the  Bible  revealed  them  to  us.  Take  for  example 
the  lonely  peak  of  Pisgah,  on  which  Moses,  the  illustrious  leader  of  the 
Israelites,  ascended  when  he  viewed  the  land  of  promise ;  its  geograph- 
ical location,  could  not  have  been  satisfactorily  settled,  had  it  not  been 
so  minutely  defined  in  the  Bible.  In  it  we  are  informed  that,  "  Moses 
went  up  from  the  plain  of  Moab  into  the  mountain  of  ]S^ebo,  to  the  top  of 
Pisgah,  that  is  over  against  Jericho."  This  definition  is  so  distinct  and 
evident,  that  visitors  even  in  these  times  have  but  little  difiiculty  in 
identifying  Mounts  Nebo  and  Pisgah,  from  the  other  mountains  of 


FEOM  BETHLEHEM  TO  THE  JOKDAN.  215 

Moab ;  and  in  whatever  direction  one  may  go  in  central  or  southern 
Palestine,  and  many  parts  in  the  north,  the  mammoth  mountains  of 
Moab  can  be  seen  prominent. 

THE  VIEW  OF  MOSES. 

Very  soon  after  the  plain  of  Shai*on  is  passed,  on  the  way  up  to 
Jerusalem  from  Joppa,  and  the  western  point  of  the  highland  of  Judea 
is  passed,  this  range,  of  which  Nebo  forms  a  part,  appears  to  view  along 
the  eastern  horizon  about  thirty  miles  away,  but  does  not  seem  more 
than  half  the  distance.  It  is  also  seen  from  Mizpeh  and  the  sacred 
Mount  of  Olives ;  then  a  little  to  the  north  of  Jerusalem  on  Mt. 
Scopus,  the  range  is  distinctly  seen  ;  then,  southeast,  as  far  as  Bethle- 
hem, and  south,  as  far  as  Hebron,  views  are  had  of  these  mountains. 
On  the  north  they  can  be  seen  from  Bethel,  Shechem,  Ebal  and  Geri- 
zim.  One  who  has  viewed  them  from  the  Jordan  particularly,  will  be 
able  without  difficulty,  to  point  out  the  historic  mountains  from  all 
others  in  the  range,  even  from  the  far  northern  points  of  view. 
Although  Pisgah  belonged  to  the  Abarim  range,  there  seems  to  be, 
when  viewed  from  the  Jordan  or  the  Plain  of  Jericho,  a  depression 
breaking  the  range  a  little,  near  Nebo ;  this  gives  it  distinction,  and  as 
there  is  no  visible  elevation  behind  the  summit  of  Pisgah,  which  is  a 
peak  on  the  top  of  Nebo,  it  has  the  highest  and  most  conspicuous  altitude 
in  its  neighborhood.  Standing  as  it  does,  the  foreground  of  the  moun- 
tain range,  it  affords  a  more  prominent  view  of  Palestine  than  any 
other  round  about  it.  Therefore,  Moses,  the  servant  of  God  and  faith- 
ful leader  of  the  Hebrews,  was  directed  to  ascend  to  the  summit  of 
Pisgah,  that  he  might  obtain  the  best  observation  of  the  land  of  Canaan, 
the  future  permanent  home  of  the  children  of  the  promise.  Although 
Moses  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  years, 
he  was  not  embarrassed  by  feeble  sight,  nor  was  his  natural  physical 
force  abated.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact,  he  was  able  in  his  old 
age  to  climb  to  the  heights  of  the  lofty  Pisgah,  then  stand  and  view 
the  land,  until  he  had  gotten  a  general  observation  of  the  whole 
country :  "  And  the  Lord  showed  him  all  the  land  of  Gilead  unto  Dan 
and  all  Naphtali,  and  the  laud  of  Ephraim  and  Mannassah,  and  all 
the  land  of  Judah,  unto  the  uttermost  sea  (Mediterranean) ;  and  the 
south,  and  the  plain  of  the  valley  of  Jericho,  the  city  of  palm  trees, 
unto  Zoar."  This  loftly  summit  was  the  most  prospective  peak  of  the 
whole  range.  It  is  so  situated,  both  as  to  elevation  and  location,  that 
an  unobstructed  view  can  be  had  over  the  mountainous  country  of 
Palestine,  and  over  the  sea  on  the  west. 


216  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

On  tlie  top  of  this  mount  Moses  stood,  about  the  time  he  was  near- 
ing  the  end  of  the  long,  weary  journey  through  the  wilderness,  and  his 
career  on  earth,  and  looked  with  extreme  delight,  upon  the  beautiful 
country  the  Lord  had  chosen  for  a  heritage  of  the  people,  with  whom 
he  had  so  long  suffered  many  heavy  trials,  during  their  forty  years'  wan- 
dering from  the  land  of  Egypt,  the  land  concerning  which,  under 
Divine  direction,  he  had  written  so  strangely,  and  where  Abraham,  the 
father  of  the  faithful,  had  sojourned  five  hundred  years  prior.  While 
viewing  the  many  hills  and  mountain  tops,  doubtless  his  ravished  eyes 
glimpsed  Mount  Moriah,  and  he  thought  of  the  morning,  when  Abra- 
ham took  his  son  Isaac  to  sacrifice  him  to  the  Lord,  and  how  in  the 
moment,  the  faithful  father  stood  with  uplifted  hand  to  slay  him,  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  stayed  his  hand.  As  Moses  looked  westward  and 
downward,  the  bold  Jordan  had  flooded  its  banks,  in  proud  defiance  of 
the  multitude  below,  who  were  soon  to  stand  upon  them,  eager  to  enter 
into  the  country  on  the  margin  of  its  western  shore. 

Just  across  this  narrow  stream,  which,  from  the  height  of  his  view, 
must  have  appeared  almost  beneath  him,  near  the  base  of  Nebo,  was 
the  beautiful  plain  of  Jericho,  and  little  Gilgal,  where  his  i^eople  should 
build  their  first  altar  in  Canaan.  Then  looking  a  little  to  his  left,  he 
saw  the  dreary  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  border-land  of  which  still 
bore  prominent  signs  of  the  wrath  of  God  Then  casting  his  eyes 
northward.  Mounts  Tabor,  snowy  Hermon,  Ebal,  and  Gerizim  were  in 
full  view  before  him ;  and  on  the  west  could  be  seen  Carmel,  Leba- 
non, and  the  hills  of  Galilee,  and  all  the  country  as  far  as  Dan,  the 
most  northern  limit  of  the  land.  It  may  be  imagined,  how  unusually 
happy,  the  old  care-worn  and  age-stricken  man  of  God  felt,  as  he 
stood  upon  this  lofty  peak,  far  away  from  the  communion  of  the  people, 
whose  constant  inclinations  to  rebellion  and  mistrust,  many  times  chafed 
his  soul  and  caused  him  to  weep  bitterly,  especially  when  he  heard 
them  murmur  against  God  and  charge  Him  with  dealing  unkindly 
towards  them.  But  for  a  short  time,  while  holding  special  communion 
with  the  Lord,  who  had  taken  charge  of  him,  his  soul  enjoyed  undisturbed 
rest,  and  there  was  nothing  to  disturb  the  thoughts  passing  through  his 
mind.  Therefore  he  was  permitted  to  drink  to  his  fullest  satisfaction, 
the  blessing  so  desirable  to  man,  while  standing  on  the  narrow  margin 
of  death.  He  also  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  having  a  most  delightful 
view  of  the  land,  soon  to  be  inhabited  by  the  people  whom  he  had  en- 
deavored to  encourage  and  counsel  all  through  the  journey  of  the  wil- 
derness ;  the  land  that  should  produce  abundantly,  the  "  land  of  milk 
and  honey."     And  although  he  would  not  be  permitted  to  conduct 


FROM  BETHLEHEM  TO  THE  JORDAN.  217 

them  beyond  the  narrow  confines  of  the  Jordan,  or  spend  another  hour 
with  them  on  earth,  he  was  willing  to  surrender  his  responsible  charge 
to  Joshua,  whilst  he  waited  patiently  for  the  summons  that  should  end 
his  long  and  trying  probation.  We  may  suppose,  without  transcending 
the  limits  of  propriety,  that  the  transporting  views  Moses  had  of  the 
goodly  land,  gave  him  as  much  pleasure,  as  if  he  had  been  permitted  to 
have  entered  and  enjoyed  its  fruits.  How  greatly  he  drank  in  its  de- 
lectable impressions  is  not  known,  as  he  died  upon  the  mount  without 
communicating  it  to  the  people.  But  it  is  no  stretch  of  imagination,  to 
suppose,  his  satisfaction  was  so  complete  he  was  willing  to  die,  and  let 
his  spirit  wing  its  flight  to  the  upper  Canaan,  to  join  the  ranks  of  the 
glorified  hosts,  who  bask  in  the  splendors  of  the  golden  city  beyond 
this  chilly  vale  of  tears. 

The  heart  of  Moses,  while  looking  upon  these  scenes,  must  have  had 
much  satisfaction  in  the  contemplation  of  the  fact  that  the  journey  of  the 
people  would  soon  be  ended,  and  everything  they  could  consistently 
hope  for,  would  be  obtained  in  the  land  whither  they  should  soon  enter. 
And  could  Moses  have  commanded  enough  power  while  there  to  com- 
municate with  his  weary  people,  in  the  camp  at  the  foot  of  Nebo,  his 
graphic  description  of  the  country,  would  have  caused  new  inspiration 
to  arouse  the  anxious  multitude,  with  a  full  determination  to  enter 
upon  their  long-sought  possessions. 

Upon  the  lofty  summit  of  Pisgah,  Moses,  whose  patience  had  been 
taxed  for  forty  dreary  years,  finished  his  observations  of  the  country 
before  him,  that  lay  just  beyond  the  Jordan,  finished  the  number  of 
his  days  in  the  world,  and  immediately  opened  his  eyes  on  the  most 
glorious  land,  promised  to  all  who  will  take  up  their  cross  and  follow 
Jesus.  How  transporting  was  the  sight !  The  very  first  look  upon  the 
heavenly  land,  was  far  more  glorious  than  all  the  country  he  had  been 
surveying  from  the  top  of  Pisgah.  We  venture  the  assertion  he  be- 
came lost  in  amazement.  But  Avhat  a  marvellous  funeral  the  great 
prophet  must  have  had,  although  the  usual  ceremony  was  not 
performed ;  the  long  procession  was  not  seen,  following  him  to 
the  tomb,  while  the  weeping  ones  were  filling  the  air  with  bewildering 
lamentations.  No  human  orators  were  there,  delivering  long  eulogies, 
setting  forth  in  strong  terms  the  sacrifices  Moses  made  for  the  good  of  the 
people ;  but  God,  who  had  led  this,  the  greatest  of  men  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years,  took  charge  of  the  funeral  on  the  mountain  top,  far 
from  mortal  sight,  and  saw  to  it  that  this  hero,  whose  presence  upon 
Pisgah  immortalized  its  name,  should  be  honored  with  a  burial  such 
as  man  never  had.    It  may  be  imagined  that  hosts  of  angels  came  and 


218  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMiSE. 

rested  their  feet  upon  Pisgah's  rocky  summit,  while  the  remains  of  the 
man  of  God  were  Laid  to  rest,  where  no  mortal  could  know  or  identify 
his  grave. 

JOSHUA  CAMPED  AT  GILGAL.      ' 

Joshua,  the  successor  of  Moses,  led  the  people  into  the  promised 
land.  Gilgal,  the  place  so  distinguished  in  sacred  history  as  the  first 
camping-place  of  the  Israelites,  after  entering  Canaan,  is  southeast  of 
Jericho.  Nothing  marks  the  site  of  that  anciently  renowned  place,  so 
sacredly  memorable  to  the  Jews,  but  a  small,  shapeless  ruin.  But 
they  highly  reverence  the  locality  because  the  Ark  of  God  remained 
there,  until  it  was  removed  to  Shiloh.  It  is  about  four  miles  southw^est 
of  the  Jordan,  and  five  miles  from  Jericho.  There  were  several  places 
in  Palestine  bearing  the  name  of  Giigal :  one  on  Mt.  Carmel,  another 
near  Kefr,  Suba,  and  another  near  Singel.  But  this  one  near  the  Jor- 
dan, southwest  of  Jericho,  is  the  historic  place  which  the  Hebrews 
looked  upon  for  many  ages  with  profound,  if  not  adoring,  reverence. 
The  twelve  stones  taken  from  the  bed  of  the  Jordan  were  carried  to  the 
hill  Gilgal,  where  they  were  piled ;  and  all  the  Israelites  were  circum- 
cised, and  there  made  it  a  place  of  rest.  The  headquarters  of  the 
camp,  for  a  long  time  were  there.  After  they  had  rolled  away  the  re- 
proach of  Egypt  from  them,  they  celebrated  their  first  passover  there, 
in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

It  was  from  Gilgal  Joshua  went  up  to  Jericho,  and  saw  over  against 
the  wall  one  whom  he  supposed  to  be  a  man,  who  informed  him,  he 
had  come  "  as  captain  of  the  Lord's  host."  In  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood, a  school  of  the  prophets  flourished  in  the  time  of  Elijah.  It 
was  from  Gilgal  the  army  of  Israel,  marched  when  they  won  the  great 
victory  over  Jericho  without  striking  a  blow,  until  after  the  walls 
tumbled  down.  This  proud  city  was  situated  in  the  Jordan  valley, 
about  ten  miles  from  the  river,  and  was  shut  in  by  a  high  mountainous 
fortress,  which  is  known  as  the  mountains  of  the  spies,  because  the 
men  were  directed  by  Rahab  to  hide  in  them  three  days.  The  only 
way  for  Joshua  to  march  against  Jericho,  was  from  the  south  or  south- 
east portion  of  the  plain.  This  route  was  not  obstructed  by  mountains, 
and  the  Israelites  had  a  pleasant  plain  to  march  through,  up  to  the 
city.  There  are  three  Jerichos  known  in  history ;  these  are,  the 
ancient  city,  which  was  in  a  flourishing  state  when  the  children  of 
Israel  entered  Canaan  ;  the  Jericho  of  Herod's  time,  which  is  known 
to  have  been  a  city  of  great  importance  in  the  time  of  "  Our  Lord," 
and  the  modern  village  now  standing,  which  is  a  little  dilapidated 


FKOM  THE  JOEDAN  TO  JERICHO.  219 

place  knowu  to  the  Arabs  as  Eriha ;  its  inhabitants  have  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  very  dishonest  people,  and  by  no  means  trustworthy. 
They  do  but  little  work,  as  the  tillable  land  of  the  plain  clearly  shows. 
One  of  the  attractions  about  Jericho  is  the  famous  fountain,  or  spring 
of  Elisha,  which  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  site  of  the  ancient 
city,  and  is  the  life  of  the  present  community.  Its  water  is  perennial 
and  copious  ;  so  that  it  not  only  furnishes  supplies  for  the  people  and 
cattle,  but  for  irrigation  also.  It  is  cool,  bracing  and  pleasant  to  the 
taste.  A  small  reservoir  receives  its  flow,  from  which  it  is  carried 
off  by  several  little  channels,  cut  through  a  portion  of  the  plain,  for  the 
purpose  of  watering  the  gardens  in  the  dry  season.  This  is  the  spring, 
which,  in  the  time  of  Elisha,  contained  bitter  water,  and  the  men  came 
to  him  complaining  of  it ;  when  the  prophet  heard  this,  he  had  com- 
passion on  them,  and  healed  the  spring  so  that  it  was  made  sweet  im- 
mediately, and  has  continued  so  to  the  present.  As  to  the  fact  of  its 
sweetness,  I  can  candidly  testify ;  for  while  there  I  drank  abundantly 
of  it,  and  found  it  not  only  sweet,  but  delicious.  This  seems  to  be  the 
candid  conclusion  of  all  who  have  drunk  of  it.  Were  it  not  for  this 
spring,  the  inhabitants  would  be  compelled  to  travel  to  the  Jordan, 
which  is  at  the  nearest  point  about  ten  miles,  for  water.  There  are 
seasons  they  cou  d  get  it  from  the  brook  Cherith ;  but  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  year  it  is  dry  or  so  low  water  could  not  be  gotten.  There 
is  nothing  to  be  seen  at  the  site  of  ancient  Jericho,  to  indicate  its 
passed  history  in  any  way,  for  it  is  "  an  heap,"  where  not  even  its 
ruins  are  visible.  But  it  is  the  opinion  of  many,  that  if  at  this  late 
date,  money  enough  could  be  appropriated  to  excavate  some  of  the  old 
mounds,  many  valuable  and  interesting  relics  would  be  found.  We 
rode  entirely  around  the  site  of  the  ancient  walls,  talking  of  Joshua  and 
thinking  of  the  great  victory  he  won,  and  of  the  triumphant  shouts  of 
the  multitudes,  when  they  saw  the  massive  walls  falling  level  with  the 
ground,  when  the  seventh  round  had  been  completed.  But  now  all  is 
desolate  and  dead.  On  the  high  mound  above  the  spring,  a  good  view 
can  be  had  over  the  plain,  and  of  the  mountains  of  Moab  from  which 
the  children  of  Israel  fondly  gazed,  upon  the  country  they  should  soon 
enter  and  enjoy.  Just  under  our  feet  were  the  woeful  remains  of  the 
once  popular  and  prosperous  city  to  which  Joshua  sent  men  from 
beyond  Jordan  to  spy.  Just  behind  us  on  the  west,  are  the  bold  moun- 
tains, to  which  the  men  fled  to  evade  the  wrath  of  their  jDursuers. 

The  most  conspicuous  memorials  of  the  ancient  city,  with  its  mighty 
gates,  ma.fsive  walls,  monumental  towers  and  Edenic  gardens,  are  a 
few  withering  mounds,  under  which  lie  buried  all  the  dusty  remains  of 


220  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

that  great  city.  Lying,  as  it  does,  under  these  mounds,  in  a  deep 
depression  nearly  thirteen  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea,  and  more  than  thirty-one  hundred  feet  below  Mt.  Zion, 
and  being  nearly  closed  in  by  high  mountains,  a  temperature  rises  so 
intensely  hot,  it  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  fire  of  divine  indignation 
was  still  being  poured  upon  it,  that  others  may  be  aware  of  His  wrath. 
It  may  be  that  upon  this  very  spot  over  which  we  rode,  Joshua  stood 
forth  in  the  presence  of  all  Israel,  and  pointed  his  victorious  hand  to- 
wards the  masses  of  ruins  that  comprised  the  renowned  city  of  Jericho, 
which  had  fallen  beneath  the  displeasure  of  the  Almighty ;  and  in  the 
name  of  the  God  who  made  him  conqueror,  pronounced  a  curse  upon 
the  man  who  should  at  any  time  thereafter  attempt  to  rebuild  it : 
"  Cursed  be  the  man  before  the  Lord  that  riseth  up  and  buildeth  this 
city  Jericho  ;  he  shall  lay  the  foundation  thereof  in  his  first-born,  and 
in  his  youngest  son  shall  he  set  up  the  gates  of  it." 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  notwithstanding  this  awful  maledic- 
tion, in  about  five  hundred  years  after  it  was  pronounced,  a  man  came 
forward  to  test  its  validity,  or  defy  its  authority,  and  made  an  effort  to 
rebuild  the  city  upon  which  the  wrath  of  God  was  still  abiding.  This 
man  was  Hiel,  the  Bethelite ;  he  rebuilt  the  old  sin-cursed  city,  but  to 
his  bitter  sorrow  witnessed  the  literal  fulfillment  of  the  woe  pronounced 
by  Joshua,  upon  the  man  who  would  dare  to  do  it ;  for  his  children  suf- 
fered the  fate  of  his  folly.  The  second  Jericho,  is  that  which  existed  in 
the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  was  located  at  the  entrance  of  the  hill  country 
of  Judea  ;  it  was  known  as  the  city  of  palm-trees,  and  was  founded  by 
order  of  Herod  the  Great. 

Several  traces  of  old  ruins  are  prominent,  that  indicate  the  existence 
at  some  time  of  a  flourishing  and  inviting  city.  But  like  the  great 
city  Heleopolls,  that  has  but  a  single  shaft  remaining,  to  tell  the  story 
of  its  past  existence,  so  at  the  second  Jericho,  a  small  tower  about 
thirty  feet  high,  is  the  most  conspicuous  object  of  the  remains  of  the 
city  of  palm-trees.  In  connection  with  the  tower  are  a  few  scattered 
remnants  of  the  old  aqueduct,  as  we  proceed  towards  Eriha,  the  present 
Jericho.  It  is  noteworthy  that  there  is  not  a  city  to  be  found  on  the 
plain.  Our  Lord  visited  Jericho  and  spent  some  time  with  Zaccheus 
the  publican,  who  was  a  tax-gatherer  ;  and  somewhere  in  the  region 
over  which  travelers  usually  ride,  may  have  been  the  spot  along  the 
wayside,  where  poor  blind  Bartimeus,  son  of  Timeus,  sat  asking  alms, 
because  he  was  suffering  from  two  serious  afflictions,  blindness  and 
poverty.  The  Saviour  had  mercy  upon  him  and  restored  his  sight. 
The  modern  Jericho  dates  from  the  time  of  the  Crusaders.     Just  out- 


FROM  THE  JORDAN  TO  JERICHO.  221 

side  of  its  low  mud  walls  are  the  hotels,  at  which  visitors  put  up,  and 
find  them  very  comfortably  arranged.  The  most  of  the  houses  com- 
posing the  village  are  composed  of  mud,  but  those  who  seem  not  to 
care  to  live  in  them,  have  small  black  tents,  which  are  not  strong.  The 
most  of  them  are  worn  with  age  and  constant  use.  Joshua  vi.  26 ;  1 
Kings  xvi.  24. 

The  last  night  I  spent  in  Jericho,  one  of  the  most  fearful  land-storms 
swept  over  the  plain,  I  ever  witnessed.  It  shook  the  hotel  as  if  it  were 
but  a  reed,  and  almost  persuaded  me  at  first,  it  was  built  upon  the  sand  ; 
for  it  was  shaking  so  alarmingly,  it  seemed  as  if  down  it  must  come ; 
and  great  would  have  been  "  the  fall  of  it."  It  was  with  difiiculty,  the 
guests  could  compose  themselves ;  not  one  of  us  retired  until  after  mid- 
night, fearing  the  building  would  be  blown  to  the  ground.  How  strik- 
ingly clear  the  words  of  Jesus  were  comprehended,  as  to  the  difference 
of  the  house  founded  upon  the  sand,  from  that  one  built  upon  a  rock,  in 
the  time  of  great  storms !  If  that  hotel  had  been  built  upon  a  solid 
rock  foundation,  it  would  not  have  been  moved  ;  and  although  it  was 
not  wholly  on  the  sand,  the  soil  is  so  very  light,  one  would  feel  as  if  it 
was.  It  did  not  fall,  but  we  saw  in  the  morning  that  it  had  sustained 
considerable  damage.  Some,  if  not  all,  the  little  black  tents  in  Eriha 
were  torn  to  shreds.  It  is  a  living  truth,  sandy  foundations  will  not 
stand  heavy  storms,  neither  spiritual  nor  physical.  Luke  xviii.  43  ; 
xix.  1-10;  Matt.  xx.  29-34. 

THE  BROOK  CHERITH. 

The  Brook  Cherith,  called  by  the  natives  Woody  Kelt,  though  very 
small  and  generally  dry,  during  a  part  of  the  hot  season,  when  the  rain 
is  suspended,  yet  it  is  highly  interesting  because  of  the  peculiar  history 
associated  with  it,  in  connection  with  the  sojourn  of  Elijah  there.  The 
event  of  chief  interest,  that  seems  to  have  caused  more  discussion  than 
anything  else  that  occurred  thex-e,  is  the  supply  of  food  Elijah,  the 
prophet,  obtained  from  day  to  day  for  a  year,  while  hiding  from  Ahab, 
king  of  Israel.  The  ravine,  through  which  the  brook  flows,  crosses  the 
Jericho  road  about  three  miles  north  of  Elisha's  spring,  near  the  en- 
trance into  the  bloody  pass.  This  ravine,  especially  that  portion  in  the 
region  of  the  convent  of  Elijah,  is  one  of  the  most  sublime  in  Palestine. 
It  is  from  four  to  five  hundred  feet  deep,  and  very  narrow  at  the  bottom, 
only  wide  enough  to  permit  the  little  stream  to  pass.  The  highway  to 
Jericho,  passes  for  some  distance  along  the  border  of  the  deepest  southern 
part,  and  from  top  to  bottom,  high  sharp  rocks  line  the  gorge,  so  that  it  is 
solemnly  grand  to  look  into.     On  the  nothern  bank  is  situated,  in  abso- 


222  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

lute  seclusion,  in  this  deep  depression,  tlie  convent  of  Elijah,  which  is 
under  the  management  of  the  Greek  church.  It  is  supposed  to  be 
located  at  or  near  the  place,  the  prophet  was  hiding,  during  the  exhaus- 
tive search  king  Ahab  instituted  to  apprehend  him.  The  path  leading 
from  Jericho  to  the  convent,  is  very  rugged  and  difficult  in  many  places 
to  travel ;  yet  the  monks  who  live  there,  seem  to  go  over  it  without 
fatigue ;  but  persons  who  are  accustomed  to  good  roads  find  it  a  most 
tedious  journey,  even  riding  a  horse.  It  will  be  remembered,  here,  we 
are  informed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  while  Elijah  was  hiding  by 
the  historic  brook,  the  ravens  furnished  him  bread  and  meat  daily,  and 
the  brook,  until  it  became  dry,  furnished  him  with  water.  The  food 
which  the  man  of  God  received  has  of  late  caused  many  lengthy  and 
profitable  discussions.  These  arguments  are  not  in  opposition  to  the 
fact  that  Elijah  was  fed  by  the  ravens  ;  but  who  were  these  ravens,  men 
or  birds?  This  has  laid  the  foundation  for  discussion.  Many  are  in- 
clined to  the  opinion,  that  the  ravens  spoken  of  in  the  Bible  in  connec- 
tion with  the  prophet  Elijah,  were  men  and  not  birds,  as  is  held  by 
others.     1  Kings  xviii.  3-7. 

On  this  subject,  much  has  been  said,  and  many  important  facts  have 
been  advanced.  It  has  been  strangely  doubted  that  the  Lord  would 
make  choice  of  a  bird  so  very  unclean  as  the  raven,  to  feed  his  servant, 
especially  in  a  country  where  so  many  clean  birds  exist.  To  the  north  of 
the  modern  Jericho,  three  or  four  miles,  is  a  high  hill  having  a  projecting 
peak.  The  Arabs  call  it  Osh-el-Ghoreb,  or  "  The  Raven's  Nest."  This  hill 
is  in  the  locality  of  the  brook  Cherith,  and  not  far  from  the  traditional 
site  where  Elijah  hid.  It  is  said  the  whole  district  around  the  hill 
Oreb  was  inhabited  then,  as  at  present,  by  nomadic  tribes,  who  are 
supposed  to  be  Orebim,  or,  according  to  the  English,  the  Ravens,  or 
citizens  of  Arabah,  the  town,  that  rabbinical  authority  says,  was  near 
Bethshan.  Jerome,  who  spent  his  life  in  Palestine  hunting  up  facts 
for  general  information,  and  whose  writings  are  regarded  as  authority, 
says  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  furnished  Elijah  with  food.  This 
statement,  coming  from  the  pious  Jerome,  as  early  as  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, who  wrote  his  convictions  after  careful  investigation  of  facts 
had  convinced  him,  must  of  necessity  be  entitled  to  our  esteem.  And 
it  is  found  that  the  Arabic  version  of  the  word  Orebinj,  in  this  pas- 
sage, means  people  known  by  the  name  of  Raven,  either  as  a  tribe  or 
a  family  name,  or  after  the  town  in  which  they  live,  and  not  that  of 
birds.  It  is  also  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  Jewish  commentator, 
Jarchi,  who  wrote  with  great  care  and  caution,  his  convictions,  inter- 
prets the  words  in  the  same  light,  and  adds  his  opinion,  that  "  it  was 


FROM  THE  JORDAN   TO  JERICHO.  223 

impossible  that  tlie  Lord's  prophet  should  receive  food  from  creatures 
declared  by  the  law  unclean." 

The  arguments  insisting  that  the  ravens  who  fed  Elijah  morning 
and  evening  for  one  year,  were  human  agents,  and  not  unclean  birds 
of  prey,  have  grown  in  popular  favor,  and  many  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  only  likely  interpretation  of  the  passage  is,  that  the  Orebim 
(Ravens),  who  brought  food  to  Elijah,  were  a  class  of  people  so  called 
from  the  town  in  which  they  lived.  Murray  thinks  this  is  a  plain  and 
simple  explanation,  of  a  fact  connected  with  Elijah's  sojourn  in  the 
neighborhood,  of  the  people  whom  God  impressed  to  care  for  his  ser- 
vant, "  which,  from  want  of  knowledge  of  the  locality  and  its  surround- 
ings "  (Josh.  XV.  6 ;  xviii.  18.),  has  been  misunderstood,  and  wrongly 
interpreted  by  those  who  had  ihe  responsible  and  stujDendous  task  of 
translating  the  Bible  into  English.  Therefore,  "  they  have  perverted 
this  text  into  a  miracu'ous  and  supernatural  incident ;  and  that  when- 
ever an  incident  in  the  scriptural  narrative  can  be  explained  in  a  plain 
and  straightforward  manne,  rit  is  a  mistake  to  import  any  elements  of 
supernatural  miracle  into  it ;  consequently,  it  is  a  matter  of  satisfac- 
tion that  here  we  have  an  explanation  so  plain  and  rational,  of  what 
hitherto  proved  a  stumbling-block  to  not  a  few  minds."  There  are 
strange  arguments  produced  by  Dr.  Paxton  and  others,  favoring  the 
English  translation;  that  is,  Elijah  was  fed  by  that  class  of  birds 
known  as  ravens.  But  there  seems  to  be  more  than  a  simple  collec- 
tion of  ideas,  in  the  arguments  which  favor  human  agency,  in  adminis- 
tering daily  food  to  God's  servant,  and  whatever  may  have  been  the 
characteristics  ot  the  men  known  as  ravens,  God  could  have  easily 
caused  them  to  take  care  of  His  prophet,  as  He  did  the  widow  of 
Zarephath,  or  the  Shunammite  woman  who  provided  for  Elisha.  And 
may  it  not  be  possible  after  all,  that  Elijah  received  his  daily  food, 
during  the  twelve  months  he  was  hiding  from  Ahab  at  the  Brook 
Cherith,  from  men  living  near-by  ?  I  am  frank  to  say  this  interpreta- 
tion seems  to  have  a  shade  of  plausibility,  that  is  worthy  of  toleration, 
so  that  I  find  myself  inclining  to  the  opinion,  those  ravens  may  have 
been  men. 

The  Brook  Cherith  will  be  ever  memorable  to  me.  When  I 
returned  from  Jericho  en  route  for  Jerusalem,  during  my  first  visit  to 
Palestine,  our  party  had  a  puzzling  time  in  crossing  it.  The  previous 
night  a  heavy  rain  fell,  (but  not  half  so  stormy  as  that  of  my  last  visit 
there),  which  caused  the  water  to  run  from  the  surrounding  mountains 
so  rapidly,  that  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  brook  had  swollen 
so  tremendously,  it  -was  with  much  difficulty  our  horses  crossed  it. 


224  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

We  Avere  compelled  to  ford  it,  as  there  are  very  few  bridges  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  Palestine.  When  my  horse  started  over,  I  was  so 
anxious  to  cross  that,  in  my  random,  I  pulled  him  too  far  to  the  left  ; 
the  guide  said,  had  I  gone  three  feet  farther  that  way,  we  would  have 
gotten  into  a  deep  place  over  our  heads,  and  that  he  feared  to  tell  me 
while  crossing,  lest  he  would  have  excited  me.  Now,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  the  last  visit  I  made  to  the  Jordan,  we  crossed  the  same  brook 
at  the  same  place,  and  just  a  few  days  later  in  the  same  month,  and  it 
was  nearly  dry.  A  short  distance  seemingly  from  Jericho,  about  three 
miles,  the  quarantine  or  the  noted  Mount  of  Temptation,  upon  which 
our  Lord  was  led  in  the  spirit  to  be  tempted  of  the  devil,  can  be 
reached  easily  and  seen  plainly  from  any  portion  of  the  plain,  east  or 
south.  The  side  of  the  mount  nearest  to  Jericho,  has  many  hermitages 
drilled  in  it.  These  were  the  habitations  of  hermits,  who  came  there  to 
fast  and  pray,  in  imitation  of  the  example  of  our  Lord.  Persons  who 
desire,  are  allowed  to  visit  them ;  but  the  fatigue  of  the  trip  would  be 
too  great  for  a  visit  of  such  little  value. 


PAET  IX. 
FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM. 

Preparation  for  the  Journey — The  Customs  and  Situation  of  the  People  in  the 
Interior— Places  of  Interest  on  the  Damascus  Highway — Mount  Scopus  — 
The  Last  Sight  of  the  Holy  City — Scenes  along  the  Eoad — The  Village 
of  Sha'fat — Ancient  Nob,  Its  Memorable  Eyents — Gibeah,  the  Birth-place 
of  Saul — Eizpah's  Devotion — The  Leyite  and  Benjamite — Ramah  of  Benja- 
min— Situation  of  Beeroth— Ramah  and  Its  Population — The  Character  of 
the  Mohammedans — Bethel  and  Its  Condition — The  Altar  of  Abraham  and 
Jacob — Bethel  a  Judicial  Station — Jeroboam's  Idolatrous  Worship — Dan 
and  Bethel  as  Two  Places  for  Worship — Reign  of  Josiah — The  Reign  of  Ahab 
—  The  Reign  of  Solomon — Rehoboam's  Reign  Oyer  Israel — The  Reign  of 
Pious  Asa — Victory  of  the  Cushite  King — Number  of  Kings  After  Asa — 
Bethel,  the  Home  of  the  Prophet — Present  Situation  of  Bethel — Ancient 
Shiloh — History  of  Shiloh — Important  Events  at  Shiloh — The  Present  Ap- 
pearance of  Shiloh — The  Road  From  Shiloh  to  Labonah — Ancient  Tombs — 
The  Plain  of  Mukhna  —  Mt.  Hermon  Seen  From  Mukhna  —  Well  of 
Jacob—  History  of  the  Samaritans — Conversation  Between  Our  Saviour  and 
the  Woman  of  Sychir — Temple  on  Mt.  Gerizim— Jacob's  Well  and  Its 
Surroundings  -  The  Tomb  of  Joseph — Shechem  and  Sychar — Moses'  Relation 
to  Mt.  Gerizim  and  Ebal — Historical  A&sociation  of  Mt.  Gerizim  and  Ebal — 
View  from  Mt.  Gerizim  and  Ebal— Backsheesh. 

THERE  are  elaborate  pre})arations  made  generally  by  those  •who 
have  charge  of  persons  intending  to  travel  northward,  especially 
the  exteuded  tour  to  Damascus,  which  is  the  most  tedious  and  dan- 
gerous of  all  the  itineraries  throughout  the  country,  and  the  most 
dreaded  of  any  I  had  taken  during  my  tour  of  the  world.  It  may  be 
of  interest  to  mauy  to  read  a  brief  sketch  of  my  own  experience  prior 
to  leaving  Jerusalem  for  the  far  north.  Many  discouragements  had 
been  set  before  me  by  attempts  being  made  to  increase  the  price  first 
agreed  upon  for  the  tour;  but  when  it  was  understood  I  intended  to 
withdraw  from  the  parties  with  whom  the  arrangements  were  first 
made,  and  go  with  one  of  the  rival  parties,  they  agreed  to  carry  out  the 
stipulations  that  had  been  made.  On  the  evening  before  the  morning 
we  were  to  start,  the  dragoman  who  had  me  in  charge,  came  to  my 
room,  at  the  Grand  Hotel,  in  Jerusalem,  t )  inform  me  he  was  going  to 
15  225 


226  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

make  the  necessary  preparations  for  our  journey,  and  would  like  me 
to  be  ready  by  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  told  him  I  would  be 
ready  at  the  time  stated,  but  I  was  seized  with  a  trembling  at  the 
thought ;  for  I  had  been  told  so  many  discouraging  things  concerning 
the  roughness,  distance,  inconvenience,  and  danger  of  the  route,  my 
courage  was  fast  failing.  It  is  not  common  for  persons  to  undertake 
the  journey  unless  several  are  in  a  party.  But  there  was  no  one  of  all 
the  travelers  in  Jerusalem  at  that  time  going  north,  but  myself.  I 
began  thinking  of  the  loneliness  of  the  tour,  as  no  one  would  be  with 
me  but  my  dragoman  and  muleteer.  Having  a  knowledge  of  the  hostile 
Bedouins,  who  lurk  in  convenient  places  along  the  road  for  the  sake  of 
plunder  and  murder,  it  became  a  task  for  me  to  gather  myself  together 
enough  to  prepare  for  starting.  Then  the  inopportune  season  was 
embarrassing,  it  being  just  the  time  when  heavy  rains  were  usual  in  the 
south,  and  deep  snows  in  the  north  often  rendered  the  roads  im2:)assable. 
All  these  obstacles  greatly  added  to  my  discomfort  and  caused  me  to 
feel  as  if  I  were  undertaking  a  risk  that  no  sane  person  would.  The 
guide  who  was  apjoointed  to  go  with  me  from  Joppa  up  to  Jerusalem, 
fearing  he  would  be  sent  through  the  interior,  rfnd  dreading  the  trip, 
used  his  best  endeavors  to  persuade  me  to  abandon  the  journey,  by 
saying  there  were  not  suitable  accommodations.  I  would  be  obliged 
to  sleep  in  native  huts,  which  were  very  dirty,  in  connection  v  ith 
several  other  inconveniences  that  were  expressly  disagreeable  to  me. 
Well,  I  was  almost  persuaded  to  give  up  the  idea,  and  partially  con- 
cluded I  should  not  reach  Nazareth,  Tiberias  and  Damascus,  nor  any 
of  the  historical  places  in  the  north.  But  after  soberly  reflecting  over 
the  matter,  I  concluded  to  go  even  if  I  should  be  compelled  to  sleep  in 
open  air.  But  I  was  assured  by  Mr.  Clark,  the  chief  tourist  agent  at 
Jerusalem,  there  was  no  real  inconvenience  in  my  way,  except  the 
weather  might  hinder  me  from  getting  through ;  but  all  possible  efforts 
would  be  made  to  accommodate  me 

Another  dragoman  was  chosen  to  go  with  me,  who  was  very  en- 
couraging as  to  the  comforts  of  the  interior,  saying  "  they  would  be  as 
good  as  any  one  could  expect  in  a  country  like  Palestine."  This  I 
found  to  be  true,  for  the  beds,  both  in  the  convents  and  inns,  were 
just  as  comfortable  as  those  in  hotels  of  Jericho  or  Jerusalem.  We 
had  all  needed  comforts  except  fire.  There  are  no  conveniences  for 
warming  in  the  country ;  the  j^eople  have  neither  fuel  nor  stoves,  ex- 
cept in  some  of  the  larger  cities,  such  as  Joppa,  Jerusalem,  and  a  few 
of  the  cities  in  the  North  ;  even  in  them  there  are  poor  fires.  The 
fuel  mostly  used  in  the  interior  is  charcoal,  which  they  burn  in  small 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  227 

lieatei*s,  such  as  plumbers  use  for  heating  their  tools.  These  are  the 
ouly  stoves  used  in  the  coldest  weather,  and  the  natives  do  what  little 
cooking  they  have  by  them  It  is  hard  for  me  to  understand  how  the  poor 
manage  to  Hve  without  fire,  or  even  other  home  comforts.  Their  dwell- 
ings are  miserable  little  huts,  without  bedding  or  furniture  ;  not  even 
a  chair  or  stool  is  to  be  seen,  and  not  enough  clothing  to  comfortably 
cover  themselves.  Many  women  and  children  have  so  hardened  them- 
selves to  the  cold  weather  that  they  go  about  barefooted  in  the  snow, 
just  as  happily  as  if  it  were  warm.  There  are  .thousands  of  old  men 
and  women  who  have  not  had  a  shoe  on  in  their  lives,  yet,  with  all 
their  poverty  and  ignorance,  they  seem  to  be  as  cheerful  and  happy  as 
those  whose  circumstances  place  them  beyond  the  disadvantage  of 
poverty.  I  was  up  bright  and  early  for  the  journey,  for  my  ambition 
to  visit  the  towns  and  villages,  made  memorable  by  the  presence  and 
labors  of  our  Lord  and  His  disciples,  overruled  my  fears  of  the  hard- 
ships that  were  so  appallingly  described.  I  became  anxious  to  start 
without  delay.  The  guide  was  not  promptly  on  time,  being  an  hour 
and  a  half  later  than  he  proposed. 

It  is  generally  a  scene  of  excitement  when  tourists  start  for  the  north 
from  Jerusalem.  It  is  a  lonely  and  perilous  journe}',  and  if  a  person 
should  chance  to  start  without  being  in  company  with  other  travelers 
as  I  did,  the  excitement  becomes  more  intense.  Such  was  the  scene  on 
the  morning  we  bade  adieu  to  Jerusalem.  The  American  consul 
attended  to  the  getting  of  my  passport,  which  must  be  issued  by  the 
Turkish  authorities,  so  as  to  permit  one  to  pass  through  the  country, 
and  secure  protection  in  times  of  trouble.  Everything  being  ready 
necessary  for  the  journey,  a  company  of  friends  escorted  me  to  my 
horse,  among  whom  were  the  hotel  manager,  the  chief  tourist  agent,  and 
several  others  who  wished  me  good  luck  and  bade  me  a  friendly  good- 
bye. We  started  up  David  Street,  and  passed  out  the  Joppa  gate,  and 
in  a  few  moments  were  beyond  the  walls,  leaving  the  Holy  City,  never 
to  enter  within  the  sacred  walls  again.  Having  before  me  nineteen 
days  of  rough  travel,  I  thought  at  times  it  would  dampen  the  pleasure 
with,  which  my  heart  was  filled  at  the  starting  ;  this  small  obstacle  was 
soon  banished  by  the  anticipation  of  visiting  some  of  the  most  important 
places  of  which  the  Bible  speaks.  Passing  along  the  Damascus  road, 
the  tombs  of  the  Judges  are  passed  on  the  east  ;  this  is  the  usual  route 
taken  by  those  leaving  Jerusalem  for  the  north,  and  is  regarded  the 
best  way  to  go.  Those  starting  from  Jericho,  who  do  not  wish  to  return 
to  Jerusalem,  may  go  direct  to  Bethel  and  on  to  Shechem  ;  but  with  the 
exception  of  traveKng  the  old  road  that  was  used  by  Joshua  and  his 


228  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

army,  there  is  but  little  of  Bible  interest  to  be  seen  until  Bethel  is 
reached.  Those  who  start  northward  from  the  Holy  City  have  the  advan- 
tage of  passing  several  important  places  before  arriving  at  Bethel ;  the 
journey  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  country  in  which  many  great  events 
occurred  in  ancient  times,  especially  after  leaving  the  tombs  of  the 
Judges,  the  first  three  or  four  hours. 

VIEW  FROM  MT.  SCOPUS. 

Several  of  these  antique  places  are  close  to  each  other,  so  that  not 
long  after  one  is  passed,  another  is  in  sight.  And  soon  JMount  Scopus 
is  reached ;  this  is  the  famous  peak  from  which  Titus  took  his  first  view 
of  Jerusalem,  and  where  he  was  joined  by  several  other  legions.  It  is 
the  unerring  custom  for  all  tourists  going  north  to  go  to  the  top  of 
Mount  Scopus  to  take  a  farewell  view  of  the  Holy  City  and  its  sur- 
roundings. 

It  w^as  from  the  summit  of  this  memorable  mount  that  my  eyes  be- 
held the  immortal  city  for  the  last  time.  The  occasion  is  just  as  fresh 
in  my  mind  as  if  the  day  had  just  passed  ;  the  impression  was  so  pun- 
gent we  cannot  forget  it.  I  beheld  the  whole  of  the  Holy  City  ;  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  Mosque  of  Omar,  the  Jews'  Synagogue, 
the  Citadel  of  David,  and  several  other  buildings,  could  be  distin- 
guished. A  little  to  the  east,  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  its  several 
buildings  were  seemingly  just  a  short  distance  from  me;  westward, 
Mizpeh,  the  mountains  of  Judah,  and  other  places  having  prominence 
in  history,  were  in  full  view  ;  then  stretching  my  vision  far  eastward 
and  southward,  the  mountains  of  Gilead  and  Moab,  the  valley  of  the 
Jordan  and  the  wilderness  of  Judah  were  visible.  As  I  looked,  my 
heart  was  filled  with  solemn  emotions.  Thinking  my  eyes  were  be- 
holding Jerusalem  for  the  last  time,  I  found  myself  involuntarily  say- 
ing, "  Farewell,  Jerusalem  !  farewell,  Jerusalem!"  At  the  same  time 
I  could  only  by  a  strong  effort  restrain  the  tears  from  flowing  copi- 
ously. 

Passing  down  the  northern  side  of  Mt.  Scopus,  the  city  was  soon  hid 
from  view,  and  we  entered  upon  the  most  sterile  and  stony  road  I  had 
ever  witnessed.  In  the  winter  months  the  road  is  much  more  encum- 
bered and  unjileasant  to  travel  than  at  any  other  season ;  it  becomes  inde- 
scribably muddy,  which,  in  connection  with  the  large  stones  promiscu- 
ously scattered  along,  greatly  impede  the  travel,  which  is  but  slow  at 
best.  Many  camels  and  donkeys  are  met  and  passed,  and  the  road 
being  very  narrow  at  places,  the  travelers  are  compelled  many  times  to 
allow  their  horses  to  go  at  camel  speed  until  a  place  can  be  reached  in 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  229 

the  road  wide  enough  to  pass  them.  Sometimes  long  trains  of  them 
are  overtaken  ladened  with  merchandise,  and  the  vicious  Arabs  seem 
unwilling  to  make  room  enough  to  permit  a  hoi'se  to  pass  them.  It  is 
not  uncommon  for  the  dragoman  to  hold  contention  with  them  before 
they  will  give  travelers  the  right  of  way  by  turning  a  little  to  one  side. 
In  those  parts  of  the  road  where  it  is  sufficiently  broad  to  allow  others 
to  pass,  the  camels  are  generally  in  the  middle,  and  often  must  be 
driven  to  one  side  by  the  dragoman  because  of  the  indisposition  of 
their  drivers  to  give  place  Like  the  streets  in  the  cities,  the  roads  are 
too  narrow  to  allow  a  vehicle  to  pass  through  them,  except  a  very  few  ; 
indeed,  many  of  the  highways  are  but  little  wider  than  a  common 
path,  and  the  horses  can  scarcely  go  faster  than  a  walk.  There  is  a 
good  carriage  road  from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem,  and  from  Jerusalem  to  He- 
bron, and  one  or  two  other  short  roads  ;  the  rest  are  simply  paths.  There 
is  a  railway  in  operation  from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem ;  also  one  was  being 
laid  between  Beyrout  and  Damascus,  and  another  from  Haifa  to  Tibe- 
rias. These  roads  will  greatly  help  merchants  and  native  travelers, 
but  it  would  be  very  unwise  for  tourists  to  travel  in  cars,  as  many 
places  of  importance  would  be  passed  unnoticed,  several  of  which  are 
distinguished  in  Sacred  History. 

The  condition  of  most  of  the  public  roads  greatly  impedes  travel  ; 
on  this  account  many  complaints  are  made  against  the  Turkish  gov- 
ernment for  criminally  neglecting  them  ;  but  the  unyielding  Turks  do 
not  pay  any  attention  to  these  complaints,  but  just  continue  in  any 
way  that  suits  them  best.  The  horses  do  well  to  make  an  average  of 
four  miles  per  hour,  and  that  could  not  be  done  were  it  not  that  at 
times  a  tolerably  good  portion  of  the  road  is  reached,  when  the  horses 
can  gallop  for  a  mile  or  two.  It  often  happens  that  the  poor,  heavy- 
laden  camel  falls  by  the  w^ay  under  his  load,  which  causes  the  entire 
caravan  to  stop  for  several  hours,  unless  it  is  apparent  the  beast  will 
not  recover ;  in  such  cases  the  load  is  usually  divided  among  some  of 
the  stronger  ones  that  have  already  been  burdened  with  as  much  as  they 
should  carry.  Camels  cannot  travel  over  those  rough  roads  at  a  faster 
rate  than  two  miles  per  hour,  and  many  cannot  do  that.  The  northern 
country,  from  Jerusalem  to  Damascus,  by  the  way  of  Mount  Hermon, 
is  very  much  broken  up  ;  and  at  times  the  road  leads  through  a  deep 
ravine  caused  by  the  water ;  often  heaps  of  stones  are  found  in  them, 
yet  they  are  much  better  to  pass  through  than  what  is  known  as  the 
main  highway. 

The  husbandmen  till  every  conceivable  spot  of  ground  they  can 
find,  and  in  many  places  plow  the  highway,  so  that  it  would  be  impos- 


230  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

sible  for  a  stranger  to  find  his  way  through  some  parts  of  the  north,  if 
he  had  to  depend  upon  the  road  as  a  safe  guide.  It  is  common  to 
ride  through  wheat  and  barley  fields,  those  parts  bordering  on  the 
highway,  especially  if  the  road  is  very  rough.  The  rough  roads  are 
encountered  soon  after  leaving  Jerusalem  if  the  traveler  is  going  north 
or  northwest,  and  in  some  instances  they  continue  so  for  miles.  One 
would  be  worn  down  with  fatigue,  were  it  not  that  so  many  places  of 
Bible  mention  are  seen  at  short  intervals,  that  completely  absorb  the 
attention  of  those  who  are  seeking  a  more  definite  knowledge  of  the 
Bible-land.  Soon  after  leaving  Mt.  Scopus,  a  small  village  is  passed 
called  Sha'fat.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  cluster  of  Olive  trees, 
and  old  ruins  of  a  church  or  tower,  and  a  few  cisterns  supposed  to  be 
of  very  ancient  date.  This  little  place  is  thought  to  be  the  ancient 
Nob,  to  which  David  came,  hungry  and  weary,  in  company  with  a 
few  friends,  and  ate  the  shew-bread. 

ANCIENT  NOB. 

It  has  been  discovered  that  Sha'fat  is  from  the  plural  form  of  the 
Arabic  woi*d  Sha'f,  which  means  hill-top,  this  (it  is  said)  exactly  cor- 
responds with  the  Hebrew  word  Nob.  When  David  went  to  Nob  and 
ate  the  shew-bread,  he  was  fleeing  from  the  vengeance  of  King  Saul,  who 
was  anxiously  seeking  him.  David  obtained  from  the  officiating  priest, 
Ahimelech,  the  consecrated  bread  and  the  sword  of  Goliath.  The 
priest  did  not  know  of  the  existing  strife  betAveen  King  Saul  and  David, 
or  he  doubtless  would  not  have  consented,  without  remonstrating 
against  his  conduct  in  taking  the  bread  and  sword,  for  he  knew  it  was 
putting  his  own  life  in  danger, to  allow  such  a  privilege  to  one  whom 
the  king  regarded  as  his  potent  enemy.  But  notwithstanding  the  ignor- 
ance of  Ahimelech  of  the  feud  between  the  king  and  the  young  man 
whom  God  had  caused  to  be  ordained  to  succeed  him,  Saul  would 
not  excuse  him,  for  his  wrath  was  kindled,  and  some  one  must  suifer 
the  penalty  even  if  the  offense  was  a  small  one.  He,  therefore,  put  the 
work  of  destruction  into  the  hands  of  his  servant  Doeg,  the  Edomite, 
who  put  Ahimelech,  and  all  the  priests  of  Nob,  to  death  ;  about  eighty- 
five  ;  and  his  work  of  death-dealing  did  not  subside  until  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  place  were  slain :  men,  women  and  children,  none 
escaped.  There  is  but  little  of  value  to  be  seen  at  Nob,  for  the  town 
has  long  since  fallen  ;  the  only  attraction  to  travelers  is  the  ancient 
history  clustering  there.  A  good  view  can  be  had  of  Mt.  Zion  and 
some  of  its  buildings ;  this  is  the  only  portion  of  Jerusalem  that  can 
be  seen  from  that  point.    How  pleasant  it  must  have  been  for  the  priests. 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  231 

who  lived  in  this  little  village,  to  look  upon  the  great  Hill  of  Zion 
while  absent  from  Jerusalem  in  their  quiet  homes  at  Nob !  The  Taber- 
nacle and  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  were  located  there  in  the  time  of 
King  Saul.  After  leaving  this  priestly  town,  going  northward  a  short 
distance,  Gibeah,  the  birth-place  of  Saul,  is  reached.  It  is  proper  to 
state,  this  site  like  many  others  is  disputed,  but  it  is  settled  upon  by 
the  majority  of  those  who  have  carefully  investigated  it,  as  the  identi- 
cal place  where  ancient  Gibeah,  the  home  of  the  first  king  of  Israel, 
was  located,  and  was  the  headquarters  of  King  Saul,  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  reign, 

RIZPAH'S  DEVOTION. 

It  was  at  Gibeah  the  seven  descendants  of  Saul  were  hung  by  the 
Amorites;  and  here  one  of  the  most  touching  exhibitions  of  maternal 
love,  known  in  the  world,  was  demonstrated.  A  loving  mother  had 
two  sons  among  those  slain ;  they  were  put  to  death  in  the  first  days  of 
the  beginning  of  the  barley  harvest,  and  Rizpah,  the  daughter  of  Aiah, 
took  sackcloth  and  spread  it  upon  a  rock  from  the  beginning  of  har- 
vest until  water  dropped  upon  them  from  the  heavens,  and  would  not 
allow  birds  nor  beasts  to  rest  upon  them  by  day  or  night.  Here  the 
poor,  distressed  woman  watched  the  remains  of  her  dead  sons  for  six 
months  during  the  hottest  days  of  the  year,  with  a  devotion  that  none 
but  a  fond  mother  can  possess.  It  was  at  Gibeah,  that  the  shocking 
event  occurred  that  revealed  the  woeful  narrative  concerning  the 
Levite's  wife,  who  was  brought  to  an  untimely  death  by  the  outrageous 
conduct  of  some  of  the  townsmen.  The  Levite  was  on  his  way  from 
Bethlehem  to  Mt.  Ephraim  with  his  wife ;  he  came  from  Jebus  (Jeru- 
salem) late  in  the  day,  and  his  servant  endeavored  to  urge  him  to 
remain  there  for  a  night ;  (1  Samuel  xxi.  1-6 ;  Neh.  xi.  32 ;  Isaiah  x. 
32) ;  but  he  would  not  do  so  because  they  were  strangers,  both  as  indi- 
viduals and  racial  connections ;  therefore,  fearing  there  might  be  some 
unkind  feeling  against  him,  he  preferred  going  over  to  Gibeah,  and 
tarrying  with  those  who  were  "bone  of  his  bone  and  flesh  of  his  flesh," 
feeling  it  Avould  be  pleasanter  and  more  safe  for  him  with  a  people  of 
his  own  kindred  and  tongue  than  with  the  children  of  Ham.  And  he 
said  unto  his  servant,  "  Come,  let  us  draw  near  to  one  of  these  places 
and  lodge  there  all  night  in  Gibeah  or  in  Ramah."  It  was  agreed  to 
remain  in  Gibeah,  so  they  journeyed  on,  and  before  they  had  arrived 
in  the  town,  the  sun  had  set  behind  the  western  sea.  But  it  was  a  sad 
night  for  him,  for  the  conduct  of  some  of  the  townsmen  towards  his 
wife  was  so  vicious  and  brutal  it  caused  her  death,  and  introduced  a 
conflict  of  a  most  bloody  and  disastrous  character,  so  that  the  people 


232  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

suffered  most  bitterly  for  their  crime,  for  they  were  slain  without 
mercy.  Gibeah  is  now,  like  most  places  in  Palestine  that  flourished 
thousands  of  years  ago.  "  It  has  fallen."  There  are  a  few  small  huts, 
the  abodes  of  the  half-civilized  Arabs,  but  the  old  town  with  its  glory 
is  buried  in  the  ages  past,  leaving  nothing  but  desolation  and  dreary 
solitude  for  those  of  to-day  to  behold. 

RAMAH  OF  BENJAMIN. 

The  next  place  of  interest  along  the  old  highway  northward  is  Ra- 
mah  of  Benjamin,  which  is  only  a  few  moments'  ride  from  Nob.  It  is 
not  to  be  identified  as  the  home  of  Elkannah,  Hannah  and  Samuel ; 
their  home  was  another  Ramah  in  Mt.  Ephraim.  But  Ramah  of  Ben- 
jamin is  situated  on  a  hill  close  to  the  old  Damascus  road  about  six 
miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  a  place  sacredly  memorable  in  Jewish 
history,  for  it  was  the  place  where  they  assembled,  after  Nebuzaradan 
had  wrecked  and  destroyed  Jerusalem,  to  bid  adieu  to  each  other  and 
their  country,  which  was  so  dear  to  them,  and  go  into  captivity  in  a 
strange  land  and  become  the  subjects  of  a  strange  people.  It  must 
have  been  a  day  of  great  lamentation,  when  the  multitudes  took  the 
parting  hand,  pressed  the  cheek  with  endearing  friendship,  then  parted, 
many  of  them  to  meet  no  more. 

The  feelings  of  the  Jews  caused  by  that  great  affliction  cannot  be 
understood  better  by  any  people  than  those  in  America,  who,  in  the 
dark  days  of  a  terrible  bondage,  had  to  part  from  near  and  dear  rela- 
tives, having  been  sold  to  distant  lands,  one  from  the  other,  in  strange 
parts,  and  among  strange  people,  to  tyrant  owners.  2  Sam.  x.  26  ; 
xiv.  2  ;  xvi.  10  ;  Judges  xix.  Those  who  left  their  loved  ones  with 
bleeding  hearts  and  dejected  heads  could  tell  what  were  the  feelings 
of  the  Jews  when  they  bade  farewell  to  each  other  at  Ramah.  It  is 
presumable,  from  the  usual  custom,  that  those  who  pass  the  old  solitary 
site,  sadly  remember  the  event  and  sustain  emotions  of  sorrow.  It  was 
at  Ramah,  that  Rachel  is  represented  by  the  prophet  as  being  in  great 
sorrow  and  weeping  for  her  children,  refusing  to  be  comforted.  But 
when  the  captives  left  this  place,  such  must  have  been  the  wailing  and 
mourning  that  the  hills  and  valleys  around  about  echoed  the  sound 
even  to  Bethel  and  amongst  the  hills  of  Ephraim. 

The  next  town  of  any  historical  interest  beyond  Ramah  is  Beeroth, 
situated  on  a  high  summit,  so  that  persons  approaching  from  the  east 
can  see  it  several  miles  away.  It  is  a  large  village  having  well-built 
houses  and  many  comforts  not  usual  to  villages  in  that  part  of  the 
country.     There  is  an  old  church  on  the  western  border  of  the  village 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  233 

that  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  ( Josli.  xviii.  25  ;  Jer.  xi,  1  ; 
xxxi.  16),  although  time  has  made  a  perceptible  impression  upon  it. 
This  church  was  built  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  is  one  of  the  many 
belonging  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  There  are  about  one  thousand 
people  living  in  Beeroth,  of  whom  a  small  number  are  orthodox  Clu'is- 
tians.  In  olden  times  it  was  one  of  the  cities  belonging  to  the  Gibeon- 
ites,  but  was  allotted  to  Benjamin  when  the  children  of  Israel  took 
possession  of  the  land,  and  is  said  to  be  the  birth-place  of  one  of  the 
mighty  men  of  King  David,  known  as  Xaharai,  the  Beerothite.  Some 
of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  among  those  who  returned 
from  the  captivity  with  Ezra. 

There  is  a  tradition  connected  with  this  place  from  an  early  Chris- 
tian period,  stating  it  was  at  Beeroth  that  the  parents  of  our  Lord 
missed  Him  on  their  return  to  Nazareth  from  Jerusalem,  and  returned 
to  seek  Him,  continuing  their  search  until  they  reached  the  Holy  City 
and  found  Him  in  the  Temple,  discussing  deep  subjects  with  the  most 
talented  men  of  that  age,  notwithstanding  He  was  but  twelve  years 
old.  The  village  is  near  the  border  line  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and 
but  a  short  distance  from  Ramah,  the  home  of  Samuel,  which  is  also 
called  Ramathaim,  and  some  who  have  taken  pains  to  investigate  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  interior  have  located  Arimath?ea  here,  the  town  in 
which  the  disciple  lived  who  obtained  the  body  of  Jesus  and  buried  it. 
There  are  two  places  to  which  claims  are  laid  as  the  original  Arima- 
thsea,  and  it  is  highly  improbable  the  matter  will  be  settled  as  to  the  real 
site,  unless  some  undeniable  evidence  should  be  developed  sufficiently 
clear  to  settle  the  perplexed  question  for  all  time  to  come  in  favor  of 
one  of  the  two  places. 

The  other  place,  supposed  to  be  Arimathsea,  is  west  of  Jerusalem, 
just  nine  miles  from  Joppa.  Beeroth  occupies  a  commanding  situa- 
tion, and  good  views  can  be  had  down  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  and 
Benjamin,  and  as  far  west  as  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Ramah  is  a 
large  town,  compared  with  others  in  Palestine,  and  its  population  ad- 
here to  the  Latin  and  Greek  Churches,  except  a  small  number  who 
are  Protestants.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  Christian  people  through- 
out the  land  manifest  a  far  more  friendly  spirit  toward  strangers  than 
the  other  natives,  who  are  of  the  Moslem  faith.  (Josh.  ix.  17  ;  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  37  ;  Ezra  ii.  25  ;  Luke  ii.  44-45.)  They  have  clean  huts,  al- 
though humble,  and  are  clean  and  tidy  generally.  Their  attitude 
towards  foreigners  is  genteel,  polite  and  friendly,  while  those  belonging 
to  the  Mohammedans  are  entirely  the  reverse.  They  have  a  look 
expressive  of  ill-will ;  sometimes  this  is  emphasized  in  their  conduct. 


234  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

It  is  a  part  of  their  religion  to  be  unkind  to  tho&e  who  are  not  of  their 
faith,  and  on  the  least  provocation  to  use  the  harshest  means  to  punish 
them.  This  is  well  known  by  their  conduct  toward  the  Christians  in 
Damascus  and  other  parts  of  Palestine  and  Syria.  These  were  people 
who  were  to  the  manner  born,  and  it  may  be  inferred  what  would  be 
the  treatment  they  would  administer  to  those  of  foreign  birth  when  an 
opportunity  wou'd  permit  them.  This  is  one  of  the  chief  reasons 
guards  are  stationed  through  the  whole  country,  and  were  it  not  for 
those  officials,  Christians  would  have  a  hard  time  to  live  anywhere  in 
Palestine.  We  just  arrived  in  Beeroth  in  time  to  witness  a  very 
strange  sight,  which  so  greatly  attracted  me  I  could  not  enjoy  my  meal, 
or  even  pay  proper  attention  to  the  wild-looking  scenes  about  the  hills 
and  mountains  around  the  country.  There  was  a  large  gathering  of 
young  men  and  maidens  on  the  hill,  about  two  hundred  yards  away, 
who  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  a  strange  exercise,  such  as  I  had  not 
seen  in  any  part  of  the  country.  I  asked  my  dragoman  what  it 
meant,  and  was  informed  it  was  a  marriage  celebration  ;  and  from  what 
could  be  seen  of  the  performance  from  where  we  were,  I  concluded 
they  were  having  a  big  dance.  But  it  was  at  length  found  to  be  a 
solemn  gathering,  for  it  was  a  funeral.  One  of  the  young  people  of 
the  village  had  died,  and  the  friends  met  at  the  grave  to  bewail  the 
loss  of  one  of  their  companions.  But  one  not  acquainted  with  the 
custom  would  not  have  the  slightest  idea  the  people  had  gathered  to 
pay  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  dead.  They  had  formed  a  large  circle 
around  the  grave,  with  their  hands  joined,  passing  round  with  quick  pace, 
hallooing  and  j  umping,  very  much  like  our  young  people  in  some  of  their 
plays.  Those  who  were  not  in  the  circle  were  busy  in  throwing  old 
tins,  cans,  or  some  old  pieces  of  garments  and  other  things,  as  high  in 
the  air  as  they  could  throw  them.  Then  they  would  break  out  anew 
with  wild  shouts,  and  mournful  lamentations,  as  touching  and  deafening 
as  it  is  possible  to  describe.  It  is  a  custom  rarely  witnessed  in  any 
part  of  the  country,  and,  when  once  seen,  we  do  not  think  any  one 
would  care  to  see  the  same  kind  of  performance  again.  AVe  are  not 
prepared  to  state  how  long  the  people  kept  up  their  doleful  lamenta- 
tions. Our  sojourn  there  was  an  hour  or  more,  and  we  found  them 
deeply  engaged  in  the  service  W'hen  we  entered  the  village,  and  they 
were  just  as  active  when  we  left  as  when  we  first  heard  them.  It  seems 
that  they  offer  prayers  for  the  dead,  and  refer  to  him  in  song.  The 
pieces  of  clothing  they  throw  up  may  be  those  that  belonged  to  the 
deceased  friend. 


FKOM  JERUSALEfil  TO  SHECHEM.  235 


BETHEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS. 

The  next  place  of  particular  interest  is  Bethel,  but  a  short  distance 
from  Beeruth,  on  the.  east.  Any  one  passing  the  little  uninviting  town, 
not  knowing  it  to  be  the  site  of  ancient  Bethel,  would  not  be  likely  to 
see  any  attractions  worthy  of  delay.  The  present  village  is  situated  on 
a  high  hill,  and  is  composed  of  huts  which  are  by  no  means  tidy.  I  am 
sure  persons  of  advanced  civilization  would  much  prefer  taking  a  night's 
lodging  out  of  doors  than  in  one  of  the  native  huts. 

But  Bethel  is  one  of  the  most  frequently  visited  places  in  Palestine, 
especially  by  those  going  north,  and  but  few  places  in  the  land  have 
more  attractions.  There  is  but  little  of  the  remains  of  the  material,  of 
which  the  ancient  city  was  composed,  visible.  Some  of  these  are  used  in 
the  present  buildings  composing  the  village.  There  is  also  a  remnant 
of  the  walls  of  the  church,  supposed  to  be  not  older  than  the  twelfth 
century,  and  built  during  the  time  the  crusaders  had  control  of  the 
country.  There  is  an  old  time-worn  tower,  which  is  supposed  to  have 
belonged  to  a  monastery  that  was  converted  into  a  fortress  ;  the  ruins 
occupy  an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length  and  one 
hundred  feet  wide,  with  chambers  along  the  walls.  The  old  reservoir 
indicates  the  importance  of  the  ancient  city,  which  in  the  days  of  its 
greatest  progress  was  the  pride  of  Israel.  This  old  lake  received  its 
supply  of  water  from  two  springs  which  are  so  close  together  that  they 
are  known  as  the  "double  spring."  It  is  estimated  to  be  three  hundred 
and  fourteen  feet  long  and  two  hundred  and  seventeen  feet  wide.  A 
portion  of  the  old  walls  that  enclosed  it  are  still  standing,  but  are  well 
worn  with  age  and  exposure.  Those  who  will  take  the  trouble  and 
risk  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  old  tower  above  mentioned,  or  what  is 
less  trouble,  and  far  better,  one  may  go  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  highest 
hills  near  by,  and  from  a  few  of  the  highest  houses,  a  view  of  the  Mosque 
of  Omar  at  Jerusalem,  twelve  miles  away,  can  be  had,  with  good 
field  glasses.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  those  living  in  Bethel  in  the 
days  of  Jeroboam  and  his  successors,  could  see  the  Temple  of  Solomon. 
One  soon  becomes  interested  in  the  history,  both  antique  and  modern, 
connected  with  the  places  around  him.  Bethel  is  one  of  the  household 
words  of  Palestine.  Here  Abraham  pitched  his  tent  to  settle  for  a  time 
before  he  had  a  permanent  habitation  ;  and  it  was  between  Bethel  and 
Ai  he  built  an  altar,  and  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  more  than 
nine  hundred  years  before  the  national  sanctuary  that  crowned  Moriah 
had  the  first  foundation  stone  laid.  When  he  returned  from  Egypt, 
whither  he  had  fled  from  the  famine  that  oppressed  the  land,  he  was 


236  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

mindful  of  the  place  that  had  been  consecrated  to  the  Lord,  and  went 
there  to  pay  his  devotion  to  the  Great  Being  who  had  sustained  him. 
It  was  at  Bethel  that  Jacob  saw  in  his  dream  the  ladder  reaching  from 
heaven  to  earth,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending ;  the 
sight  was  so  glorious  that  Jacob  called  it  Bethel  or  "  the  house  of  God, 
and  the  gate  of  heaven." 

On  his  return  to  his  native  land  from  Haran,  about  twenty  years 
later,  he  came  to  Bethel  and  built  an  altar,  and  erected  a  memorial 
stone  because  the  Lord  met  him  there  and  talked  with  him.  It  was 
here  that  Abraham  and  Lot  separated,  and  the  Lord  renewed  his  cove- 
nant with  the  father  of  the  faithful,  which  was  first  made  known  to  him 
in  Shechem  ;  that  the  land  wherein  he  was  then  sojourning  should  be 
given  him  and  his  seed,  for  an  everlasting  habitation.  While  the  Patri- 
arch was  standing  on  the  mountain  summit  east  of  Bethel,  he  had  a 
commanding  view  of  all  the  country  round  about ;  and  the  Lord  said 
unto  him,  "  Lift  up  now  thine  eyes  and  look  from  the  place  where  thou 
art,  northward,  southward,  eastward  and  westward,  for  all  the  land 
which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  forever." 

And  when  the  Israelites  had  established  themselves  in  the  land, 
Bethel  was  allotted  to  Benjamin,  and  Ephraim  joined  him,  for  his  bor- 
der skirted  the  place  where  the  altar  had  been  built  by  Abraham. 
When  Bethel  was  taken  by  the  tribe  of  Ephraira,  the  Benjamites  seem  to 
have  surrendered  their  claim  to  it,  and  it  became  a  part  of  the  territory 
of  the  former.  When  Joshua  was  making  his  victorious  expedition 
through  Canaan,  he  conquered  the  king  of  Bethel  which  was  called 
Lud,  before  the  wonderful  vision  appeared  to  Jacob  when  he  was  flee- 
ing from  the  hand  of  Esau.  It  seems  remarkably  strange  that  attempts 
should  be  made  to  change  the  memorable  name  of  this  highly  reveren- 
tial place,  but  that  each  generation  would  sacredly  cling  to  it,  and  re- 
dedicate  the  spot  made  memorable  by  the  vision  of  angels  and  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  remembering  most  fondly,  that  Abraham,  whom 
they  so  greatly  admired,  held  the  place  in  great  reverence  (Gen.  xxvii. 
11-19;  XXXV.  14-15),  and  Jacob  erected  a  pillar  and  anointed  it  with 
oil,  as  a  memorial  for  all  generations,  that  they  might  regaid  the  place 
as  he  did  to  be  the  house  of  God  and  the  gate  of  heaven.  But  men 
who  have  no  respect  for  their  fellow  and  but  little  for  the  Lord,  will  do 
almost  anything  they  feel  disposed,  especially  if  it  will  be  offensive  to 
their  neighbors.  The  enemies  of  the  Hebrews,  by  whom  they  were 
subdued,  changed  the  names  of  the  most  important  towns  and  cities, 
Jerusalem  itself  not  escaping. 

But  there   are   other  things  of  great   interest   attaching   to   the 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHE:\I.  237 

the  history  of  Bethel  that  should  be  noticed  here.  It  was  a  judical 
town,  where  Samuel  came  at  stated  times  to  hear  such  cases  that  came 
under  his  official  notice  as  judge.  It  is  noteworthy  that  Samuel  was  a 
circuit  judge;  Gilgal,  Mizpeh,  and  Bethel  seemingly  to  have  been  the 
chief  stations  of  his  court  sessions.  It  seems  his  usual  route  was  from 
Mizpeh  to  Bethel,  then  down  the  rugged  highway  through  which 
Joshua  and  his  army  passed  when  he  marched  against  Ai  When  the 
revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  took  place,  Bethel  was  in  Ephraim's  possession, 
they  being  with  those  who  rebelled,  and  was  one  of  the  greatest  cities 
belonging  to  the  Kingdom  of  Israel.  It  appears  that  Benjamin  was 
dispossessed  of  this  important  city  when  the  other  tribes  made  war 
against  them,  on  account  of  the  sad  affair  that  occurred  at  Gibeah. 

When  Jereboam  became  king  of  the  ten  tribes,  caused  by  the  great 
dissatisfaction  with  the  conduct  of  Rehoboam,  which  had  been  kindling 
from  the  time  of  King  Solomon's  installation,  if  not  from  David's  time, 
the  religious  reverence  that  had  been  given  Bethel  for  many  ages  by  the 
pious  fathers,  because  of  the  sei'vices  conducted  there  by  Abraham, 
Jacob  and  others,  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  cause  that  stimulated 
this  king  of  the  rebel  tribes,  to  choose  it  as  one  of  the  chief 
seats  of  his  idolatrous  worship,  as  well  as  for  the  convenience  of  the 
people  who  lived  east  of  Samaria.  This  ambitious  man,  whom  the 
people  had  called  to  rule  over  them,  was  not  interested  in  directing  the 
minds  of  the  people  to  the  worship  of  the  God  of  their  fathers ;  but 
having  been  reared  amongst  the  Egyptians,  he  had  greatly  imbibed 
their  flickering  religion,  and  was  little  more,  in  point  of  piety,  than 
one  of  the  stubborn  heathens  who  knew  nothing  of  the  wonderful 
works  of  the  God  of  heaven.  Fearing  the  people  of  his  kingdom 
might  be  induced  to  follow  the  worship  of  their  fathers  as  taught  by 
Moses,  Samuel  and  others,  he  caused  all  the  Levites  to  be  expelled 
from  the  various  cities  that  had  been  allotted  to  them,  and  in  their 
stead  he  established  a  priesthood  founded  upon  his  own  selfish  con- 
trivance, and  appointed  such  men  as  priests  whose  means  allowed  them 
to  make  liberal  contributions  to  his  stores,  that  the  people  might  not 
indulge  an  anxious  desire  for  the  services  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem, 
and  finally  return  there  on  the  great  feast  days,  and  seeing  such  a 
practice  would  soon  bring  his  idolatrous  religion  to  naught,  he  abol- 
ished all  the  established  festival  days,  except  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 
which  continued  regularly  on  the  same  day.  Jeroboam  was  not  moved 
by  a  truly  religious  motive,  to  allow  the  feast  to  be  observed  on  the  usual 
day,  but  he  wished  the  people  to  gather  on  that  memorable  day  and  pay 
homage  to  him  and  renew  their  faith   in  him.     It  is  noteworthy  that 


238  THE   LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

the  celebration  of  the  feast  only,  was  continued  (1  Samuel  vii.  16  ;  Gen. 
xiii.  14-15;  Josh,  xviii.  13-22  ;  xxviii.  16-22),  but  the  regular  day 
for  holding  this  anniversary  was  changed  to  another,  chosen  by  the 
king  himself.  It  is  plainly  seen  from  the  general  conduct  of  Jero- 
boam, that  he  utterly  disregarded  the  true  worship,  or  any  other,  only 
so  far  as  it  served  to  extol  himself  and  keep  the  people,  whose  mode  of 
public  service  was  not  such  as  met  his  idea,  in  accomplishing  his 
design.  In  order  to  succeed  he  knew  the  people  of  his  kingdom  must 
be  kept  within  its  borders  in  celebrating  various  festivals  commonly 
conducted  every  year  ;  and  those  customary  feasts,  if  continued,  would 
naturally  draw  the  minds  of  the  people  from  him  to  the  regular  place 
for  holding  them.  This  he  could  see  from  the  tendency  of  some  of 
the  more  enthusiastic  ;  who,  rather  than  abandon  the  privilege  of  the 
various  religious  entertainments,  willingly  left  the  northern  kingdom, 
although  they  were  in  great  sympathy  with  it  and  were  members  of  the 
same  tribes  composing  it.  Therefore  Jeroboam,  seeing  what  he  regarded 
to  be  detrimental  to  him  and  a  signal  failure  of  his  government,  on 
account  of  those  people's  fondness  for  the  worship  of  the  Temple, 
■which  would  naturally  win  the  people  to  it,  unless  something  could  be 
substituted  in  the  northern  kingdom  to  entertain  the  people,  cunningly 
devised  a  plan  which  fully  accomplished  the  end  in  view. 

It  may  be  stated  that  the  people  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah 
were  not  sacredly  devout  in  their  religious  celebrations ;  for  they  had 
wandered  from  God  little  by  little,  by  partaking  of  the  worship  of  the 
idolatrous  nations  round  about,  so  that  their  devotion  had  largelj'' 
become  shadowy,  and  anything  in  imitation  of  them  would  have  its 
weight  with  his  people.  So  he  appointed  two  places  as  religious  head- 
quarters ;  one  was  Bethel,  a  place  held  in  great  esteem  by  the  people 
of  both  kingdoms ;  the  other  was  Dan,  on  the  extreme  north,  for  the 
special  convenience  of  the  people  living  remote  from  the  former.  At 
each  of  these  places  the  king  set  up  a  molten  calf,  and  introduced  a 
worship  to  supersede  the  original  one  held  at  Jerusalem,  and  exhorted 
the  people  to  embrace  it,  telling  them  it  was  too  far  to  have  them  go 
up  to  Jerusalem,  as  had  been  the  custom  previously.  It  was  not  a  hard 
thing  to  persuade  the  people  to  follow  his  scheme,  and  thus  they  were 
pemanently  drawn  from  the  Temple,  which  was  twelve  miles  west  of 
Bethel.  The  prompting  idea  of  the  calf-worship  may  have  been  from 
a  traditional  account  he  had  of  the  method  Aaron  took  to  quiet  the 
people  at  the  foot  of  Sinai,  when  Moses  went  up  to  commune  with 
God,  and  receive  the  law  for  their  government.  Or,  what  seems  more 
probable  he  desired  to  introduce  this  service,  because  he  knew  how 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  239 

fondly  the  people  of  Egypt  were  drawn  to  it.  Bethel,  that  had  been 
a  sacredly  adored  place  by  many  of  the  pious  Hebrews,  suddenly 
became  a  scene  of  wild  confusion  ;  and  the  people,  whose  ancestors 
built  an  altar  and  bowed  before  the  living  God,  were  seen  developing 
into  gross  idolatry,  within  a  few  hours'  walk  from  the  Holy  Hill, 
Moriah,  on  which  stood  the  most  glorious  monument  of  Divine  honor 
in  the  world.  This  very  city,  that  had  been  made  so  memorable  by 
the  altar  of  Abraham  and  Jacob,  had  been  turned  into  heathen  wor- 
shipers' headquarters.  It  is  supposed  by  many,  that  Jeroboam  was  sin- 
cere in  his  religious  views,  and  that  they  had  been  cultivated  while  in 
Egypt,  because  of  his  long  associations  with  the  people  of  that  country, 
who  were  wholly  idolatrous.  Having  become  enamored  with  it 
affectionately,  his  faith  was  weaned  from  the  worship  of  his  fathers. 
His  marriage  to  an  Egyptian  princess  greatly  influenced  him  to  adopt 
the  false  worship.  If  these  opinions  are  well  founded,  it  may  be 
inferred,  that  notwithstanding  the  people  were  not  in  the  least  disposed 
to  accept  the  teachings  of  the  nation  under  whom  their  forefathers  so 
greatly  suifered,  especially  that  pertaining  to  their  religion ;  yet, 
because  of  their  inclination  to  adopt  the  popular  heathen  worship,  they 
followed  the  very  teachings  they  had  been  so  many  times  admonished 
to  carefully  avoid.  It  is  well  known  the  calf  and  other  animals  were 
worshiped  by  the  Egyptians,  as  fondly  as  the  most  devout  of  Israel 
served  the  living  God.  This  worship  was  not  confined  to  Egypt,  for  it 
had  been  adopted  by  all  the  tribes  and  nations  of  the  eastern  world, 
and  was  prominent  among  the  various  tribes  when  Israel  entered  the 
promised  land.  But  it  seems  Jeroboam's  chief  interest  in  the  introduc- 
tion of  this  worship  was  especially  to  aggrandize  himself;  he  did  not 
make  it  obligatory  upon  all  his  subjects  when  it  was  first  established  ; 
he  allowed  the  people  to  accept  it  of  their  own  choice  (1  Kings  xi. 
14-39;  xii.  26-33),  without  a  code  of  laws  exacting  their  faithful 
adherence  to  the  new  religion ;  but  while  this  was  true,  he  clustered  it 
with  so  many  allurements  that  were  winning,  he  felt  confident  results 
would  follow,  that  would  steal  the  affections  of  the  people  to  the  extent 
they  would  confidently  and  firmly  embrace  the  new  national  religion 
lie  had  so  cunningly  planned  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  a  people 
would  so  readily  change  their  idea,  when  we  remember  the  eagerness 
they  had  manifested  for  a  long  time  to  have  full  liberty  to  worship 
other  gods. 

The  fact  should  be  remembered,  that  notwithstanding  Jeroboam 
and  the  great  majority  of  his  subjects  had  adopted  a  false  worship, 
which  they  conducted  so  exultingly  at  Bethel,  just  within  sight  of  the 


240  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

pinnacle  of  the  Sacred  Temple,  they  entertained  a  fondness  for  the 
worship  of  their  fathers,  and  attempted  to  hold  on  to  the  weak  cords 
of  the  faith  they  had  been  admonished  to  observe.  That  this  is  true, 
none  will  dare  doubt,  if  they  consider  the  address  of  Elijah  to  them, 
when,  in  connection  with  other  things,  he  asked  how  long  they  would 
"  halt  between  two  opinions."  This  scene  occurred  many  years  after  the 
time  of  Jeroboam,  which  is  an  evidence  that  the  primitive  teachings 
never  left  them.  It  is  also  known  that  Jeroboam  himself  had  abiding 
confidence  in  the  God  of  his  fathers ;  and  when  the  time  of  trouble 
came,  he  did  not  do  as  the  false  prophets  of  Baal  on  Mt.  Carmel,  but 
fell  back  on  the  religion  of  his  early  instruction.  He  built  an  altar  to 
his  idol  gods,  and  a  prophet  was  sent  to  cry  against  it,  and  God  con- 
firmed the  mission  of  His  servant  by  a  most  striking  incident.  The  altar 
was  rent  in  pieces  by  unseen  hands  and  its  ashes  were  poured  out.  The 
king,  in  his  insane  madness,  stretched  out  his  rebellious  arm  against 
the  prophet,  and  it  became  withered  that  instant,  and  continued  so 
until  the  compassionate  prophet  appealed  to  the  Lord  to  restore  it. 

This  miraculous  rebuke  which  Jeroboam  received,  for  his  rude  con- 
duct toward  the  messenger  God  had  sent  to  him  to  condemn  his  altar 
and  false  worship,  caused  him  to  boldly  acknowledge  that  the  Lord  of 
heaven  is  the  only  true  God.  It  is  noteworthy,  also,  that  when  the 
child  of  this  sinful  and  idolatrous  king  was  stricken  with  sickness,  he 
did  not  send  for  one  of  the  false  prophets  that  could  have  been  so  easily 
gotten,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  them,  nor  in  the  images  he  set  up 
in  the  days  of  his  pride,  but  he  sought  comfort  from  Gad,  whose  wor- 
ship he  had  so  wickedly  ignored.  He  sent  his  wife  in  disguised  dress  to 
seek  consolation  from  a  true  prophet.  This  act  of  Jeroboam  is  a 
strong  evidence  of  the  faith  he  had  in  his  idol  gods  and  false  prophets. 
This  is  one  of  the  many  cases  shown  that  men  of  high  standing  and 
empty  pride,  who  have  dared  to  insult  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  even 
rule  Him  out  of  their  consciences  while  basking  in  the  pleasures  of  sin, 
have  been  compelled  to  return  to  the  Lord  in  the  time  of  deep  afflic- 
tion and  humiliation  and  seek  His  protection.  No  people  have  in- 
dulged the  habit  more  than  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  and  the 
people  under  them.  But  the  house  of  Jeroboam  was  doomed,  the 
malediction  pronounced,  and  it  was  sure  and  inevitable.  The  sins  of 
the  father  were  embraced  by  his  children,  therefore,  the  chastisement 
of  the  Lord  visited  them,  and  the  prediction  of  the  prophet  was  sig- 
nally fulfilled  upon  the  whole  house  of  the  first  king  of  the  northern 
kingdom,  for  his  family  perished.  His  son,  who  succeeded  him  to  the 
throne,  had  anything  but  an  honorable  reign.     Josiah,  King  of  Judah, 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  241 

utterly  destroyed  every  memorial  of  the  idolatrous  worship  the  un- 
worthy Jeroboam  had  established,  and  spared  nothing  in  the  city  except 
the  sepulchre  of  the  man  of  God  from  Judah,  who  was  divinely  com- 
missioned to  "  cry  against  the  altar,"  because  Bethel  was  made  the 
chief  headquarters  of  false  worship.  Its  name  was  changed  to  Beth- 
a'ven,  the  house  of  idols. 

What  a  wonderful  change !  Jacob  said  it  was  none  other  than  "  the 
house  of  God  and  the  gate  of  heaven,"  but  in  after  years  "bone  of  his 
bone  and  flesh  of  his  flesh,"  said,  it  shall  not  be  the  house  of  God,  but 
that  of  idols.  How  differently  did  the  Lord  deal  with  the  kings  of 
Judah,  for,  although  they  many  times  turned  from  the  Lord,  yet  the 
worship  at  the  Temple,  the  place  where  His  honor  dwelt,  was  generally 
respected.  So,  instead  of  changing  the  dynasties  as  did  Israel,  there 
was  a  continuous  succession  of  the  royal  line  of  David  without  any 
interruption.  But  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was  begun  in  a  tumult  and 
continued  so  until  it  was  finished.  But  there  were  ambitious  persons 
in  both  kingdoms,  always  eagerly  seeking  the  sceptre.  This  disposi- 
tion is  so  manifest  in  men,  we  should  entertain  no  surprise  that  it  pre- 
vailed among  the  Israelites.  (1  Kings  xiii.  1-2  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  15-20.) 
Jeroboam  had  reigned  twenty-two  years,  when  death  summoned  him 
to  lay  down  his  sceptre.  It  may  be  said  his  whole  term  of  office  was 
strangely  eventful.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Nadab,  who  only 
ruled  the  kingdom  two  years  ;  then  the  sceptre  departed  from  the 
house  of  Jeroboam  forever.  Xadab  was  succeeded  by  Baasha,  his 
captain,  who  was  a  man  full  of  courage  and  very  prominent  as  a 
warrior.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Elah,  who  was  not  in  much 
esteem  among  his  people  and  had  a  short  reign  of  two  years,  when 
General  Zimre,  of  the  staflT  of  Elah,  supplanted  him.  Just  as  he  had 
gathered  the  reins  of  government  firmly  in  his  hand,  he  was  assassi- 
nated, while  indulging  in  a  drunken  spree,  and  was  succeeded  by  Omri, 
who  was  chosen  by  the  army.  He  ruled  the  kingdom  of  Israel  twelve 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Ahab,  who  was  one  of  the  most  notorious 
idolatrous  kings  that  had  occupied  the  throne.  It  was  during  his  term 
Elijah,  the  prophet,  was  sent  to  the  palace  to  declare  the  pending 
famine.  This  wicked  man  was  in  power  twenty-two  years,  and  his 
work  of  evil  would  fill  several  large  volumes ;  but  death  ended  his 
shameful  career,  and  the  sceptre  was  put  in  the  hand  of  Ahaziah,  who, 
after  two  years'  reign,  was  compelled  to  surrender.  After  him,  eleven 
others  are  named  down  to  the  time  of  the  captivity.  The  last  one  was 
Hosea.  The  nineteen  kings  mentioned  were  of  no  particular  family, 
that  is,  of  any  special  line,  but  belonged  to  several  districts ;  therefore, 
16 


242  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

they  were  known  as  dynasties.  The  most  of  these  men  ascended  to 
power  through  stratagem  and  much  bloodshed.  There  was  a  diflerent 
state  of  things  in  the  kingdom  of  Judah  after  the  death  of  King  Said. 
David,  who  succeeded  him,  was  exalted  to  the  throne  by  divine  ap- 
pointment, and  held  the  sceptre  for  forty  years  amid  very  serious 
changes  and  conflicts.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Solomon,  who 
had  a  peaceful  reign  the  first  few  years,  during  which  he  displayed 
wonderful  wisdom  and  shrewdness,  so  that  all  he  attempted  to  do  for 
the  welfare  of  the  kingdom  prospered.  But  pride  and  self-iudu'gence 
so  greatly  controlled  him,  that,  in  the  very  time  of  life  his  piety  and 
wisdom  should  have  been  most  prominent,  he  became  as  weak  as  a 
little  child,  having,  it  seems,  no  gontrol  of  himself  whatever.  Although 
he  was  permitted  to  reign  forty  years,  he  did  not  grace  his  position  in 
the  latter  years  of  his  administration.  He  was  succeeded  by  Eeho- 
boam,  his  son  by  Naamah,  who  was  an  Ammonitess  woman.  He  was 
a  man  of  more  years  than  either  of  his  predecessors  when  he  was  in- 
stalled king,  and  should  have  been  competent,  both  because  of  his  age 
and  experience,  to  have  shunned  the  calamity  which  nearly  destroyed 
his  kingdom.  His  unwise  policy  gave  great  dissatisfaction  to  the  peo- 
ple generally,  and  ten  of  the  tribes  left  him.  He  was  full  of  self-will 
and  would  not  be  guided  by  the  counsel  of  the  old  men  who  knew 
what  was  best  to  produce  harmony  in  the  kingdom,  but  went  directly 
opposite  to  the  wise  and  safe  instructions  given  him.  He  reigned  at 
Jerusalem  seventeen  years,  during  the  whole  of  which  his  people  were 
involved  in  bloody  strife.  Rehoboam  ruled  the  people  but  one  year 
before  the  rebellion,  after  which  his  kingdom  was  known  as  Judah, 
and  that  established  by  the  ten  tribes,  with  Jeroboam  its  acknowledged 
king,  was  called  Israel.  Rehoboam  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Abijah, 
who  soon  obtained  great  fame  as  a  man  of  war,  but  gained  very  little 
distinction  as  a  wise  and  judicious  ruler,  having  occupied  the  throne 
but  three  years,  and  seemed  not  to  profit  by  the  evil  example  of  his 
father,  but  followed  his  unwise  teaching. 

Asa,  the  son  of  Abijah,  was  the  next  king.  He  was  a  very  shrewd 
man  and  gave  strong  evidences  of  piety  from  the  beginning  of  his 
reign,  being  devoted  to  the  true  worship,  and  restored  it  wherever  he 
found  it  had  been  supplanted  by  idolatry,  and  expelled  those  whose 
superstitions  had  made  them  slaves  to  false  gods,  and  cleansed  Jeru- 
salem from  every  vestige  of  idol  worship.  Such  was  his  firm  purpose 
to  restore  the  true  worship  throughout  his  kingdom,  he  took  the  posi- 
tion of  queen  from  his  own  mother,  because  she  caused  an  idol  to  be 
built  to  Ashtaroth,  which  was  one  of  the  prominent  idolsof  the  Phoeni- 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  243 

cians.  He  reigned  forty-one  years,  with  a  degree  of  commendable 
prosperity.  In  the  eleventh  year  of  his  reign,  he  won  a  great  victory 
over  the  Cushite  king,  who  came  out  against  him  with  a  vast  army. 
His  heart  was  strengthened  and  encouraged  by  the  Lord,  who  guarded 
him  and  gave  him  success  because  he  followed  His  counsel.  Yet  it  is 
strange  that  this  man,  who,  under  the  direction  of  the  Lord,  seems  to 
have  known  nothing  but  success,  was  found  yielding  to  human  frailties 
in  his  latter  years,  and  thereby  was  not  free  from  reproach.  It  is  stated 
that  when  Baasha,  king  of  Israel,  opposed  the  work  of  reform  Asa  was 
conducting  under  divine  direction,  he  sought  not  aid  from  heaven  to 
assist  him  in  the  great  work,  but  went  over  to  Syria  for  help,  which  was 
a  great  mistake,  and  one  with  which  the  Lord  was  not  pleased.  But 
the  kingdom  of  Judah  had  not  been  presided  over  by  a  more  prosper- 
ous king  since  the  revolt,  than  he.  And  the  people  enjoyed  a  state  of 
happiness  such  as  they  had  not  enjoyed  for  a  long  time.  So  it  may  be 
said  of  Asa,  taking  all  his  surroundings  into  consideration,  he  was  of 
great  service  to  the  people,  and  left  the  kingdom  in  a  state  of  piety 
that  it  had  not  known  for  many  years.  There  are  seventeen  other 
kings  mentioned  after  Asa,  some  of  whom  were  weak  and  idolatrous, 
so  that  there  was  no  real  prosperity  for  any  considerable  period  for  the 
kingdom  of  Judah  (2  Chron.  xvi.  12;  1  Kings  xxii.  43;  2  Chron. 
XX.  32).  The  w'hole  number  of  kings  of  the  southern  kingdom  accord- 
ing to  the  chronological  account,  from  Saul  down  to  the  captivity,  were 
twenty-three.  Bethel  fell  again  to  the  Benjamites  for  a  short  while, 
but  it  never  rose  to  its  former  importance  after  the  return  of  the  people 
from  bondage.    It  was  strongly  fortified  in  the  time  of  the  JMaccabees. 

BETHEL,  THE  HOME  OF  PROPHETS. 

After  Ahab  ascended  the  throne  of  Isreal  the  worship  of  Baal 
became  so  general,  that  the  calf-worship  established  by  Jeroboam  at 
Bethel  went  down,  and  Bethel  became  the  home  of  the  sons  of  the 
prophets,  and  the  sturdy  form  of  Elijah  was  no  doubt  seen  among  them 
several  times.  It  is  certain  he  was  there,  in  company  with  Elisha,  just 
before  he  was  translated.  This  old,  familiar  city,  in  which  so  many 
amazing  events  occurred,  suddenly  dropped  from  the  record  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  is  not  brought  into  prominence  again  except  by  early 
writers.  Bethel  was  captured  by  Vespasian  whilst  on  his  way  to  Jeru- 
salem. At  that  time  it  was  maintaining  some  of  its  former  prestige  ; 
but  it  was  fast  ebbing,  so  that  in  the  fourth  century  its  glory  had  finally 
departed,  and  it  had  become  very  weak  and  unimportant.  But  during 
the  Crusade  rule  in  Palestine,  Bethel  is  said  to  have  revived  a  little. 


244  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

It  is  visited  in  these  times  simply  on  account  of  the  ancient  history  for 
which  it  is  celebrated,  as  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen  but  desolation  and 
ruin.  The  prediction  concerning  Bethel  has  been  strictly  fulfilled,  for 
it  has  come  to  naught. 

Those  visiting  this  ancient  site  purely  for  historical  purposes  can 
have  some  very  profitable  observations,  which  will  be  of  lasting  benefit 
to  them.  If  travelers  will  take  pains  to  ascend  the  high  hill,  and  look 
southward  from  its  summit,  they  will  have  an  extensive  view  of  the 
country  round  about  for  many  miles.  It  may  be  readily  understood 
why  Lot  pitched  his  tent  towards  Sodom  rather  than  those  pastures  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Bethel ;  for  the  country  environing  the  latter  is 
one  of  the  most  stony  of  all  the  pastures  in  Palestine.  For  this  reason 
the  dissatisfaction  took  place  between  the  herdsmen  of  Abraham  and 
Lot ;  as  the  flocks  of  each  were  large,  and  the  pastures  not  being 
sufficiently  extensive  for  both  sets  of  cattle,  it  would  naturally  cause 
the  men  to  endeavor  to  get  the  best  places,  even  if  a  little  advantage 
had  to  be  taken  to  do  so ;  hence  the  ill  feelings.  It  is  plain  to  be  seen 
(Ezra  ii.  28 ;  Neh.  xi.  31),  that  Abraham  was  a  lover  of  peace  and 
would  rather  be  imposed  upon  than  to  do  his  fellow  an  injustice.  He 
being  the  oldest  naturally  had  the  right  to  choose  another  place  for  his 
cattle  when  it  became  necessary  for  them  to  separate ;  but  lest  Lot 
should  feel  his  uncle  had  taken  advantage  of  him,  the  senior  patriarch 
gave  the  junior  the  right  of  choice.  Lot  looked  toward  the  southeast 
and  saw  the  plain  in  the  Jordan  valley,  that  it  was  every  way  adapted 
for  the  use  of  his  flocks,  and  aflTorded  abundant  pasture  for  all  his 
possessions ;  that  several  towns  and  cities  flourished  in  that  region 
where  he  could  find  ready  sale  for  his  cattle,  and  that  no  other  part  of 
the  country,  as  far  as  he  could  see,  was  so  inviting ;  therefore,  he  parted 
with  his  uncle  and  went  toward  Sodom.  But  Abraham  contented 
himself  with  the  pasture  land  about  Bethel,  until  he  fixed  his  mind 
on  the  land  near  Hebron,  known  as  the  plain  of  Mamre,  where  he  was 
found  when  the  Lord  made  known  to  him  the  early  fate  of  the  Avhole 
country  whither  Lot  had  settled.  It  would  be  worthy  of  the  time,  and 
fatigue  necessary  to  the  trip,  to  make  a  short  visit  to  the  Rock  Rim- 
mon,  which  can  be  reached  in  a  short  time  from  Bethel, — down  a  steep 
hill.  This  rock  was  where  the  six  hundred  Benjamites  hid  themselves 
when  fleeing  from  the  vengeance  of  the  other  tribes,  who  were  in  hot 
pursuit  after  them. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  245 

JIFNA  AND  ITS  SURROUNDINGS. 

The  next  point  from  Bethel  is  Jifna ;  there  is  no  special  history 
attaching  to  the  town,  except,  Titus  camped  there  Avith  his  army  when 
on  his  way  to  take  Jerusalem.  It  is  usual  for  those  going  north  to 
remain  here  all  night,  as  good  accommodations  can  be  obtained  at  the 
Latin  convent,  or  at  the  house  of  a  Syrian  lady,  who  is  a  school-teacher 
and  missionary.  The  most  fatiguing  road  I  experienced  in  any  por- 
tion of  the  world,  was  when  we  were  making  our  way  from  Jifna  to 
the  main  road  to  Shiloh  and  Shechem.  Were  it  not  for  the  sake  of 
getting  a  good  place  to  lodge  for  the  night,  it  would  be  far  better  not 
to  go  over  there. 

The  road  or  narrow  gorge  leads  up  a  high  mountain,  through  a 
continuous  bed  of  solid  rock,  very  crooked  and  cragged  ;  sometimes 
the  turns  are  so  very  narrow  the  horse  can  scarcely  get  through  ;  and 
there  are  other  places  that  seem  to  be  impossible  for  the  poor  beast  to 
pass  through  safely,  but  they  are  trained  to  the  work,  and,  if  they  are 
allowed  to  take  their  time,  they  never  fail  to  reach  the  summit  safely. 
The  journey  up  this  rugged,  steep  mountain  gorge  is  about  two  or  two 
and  a  half  miles,  and  requires  about  two  and  a  half  hours  to  ascend  to 
the  top.  It  is  advised  that  horses  be  rode  up,  as  it  is  better  for  both, 
the  man  and  his  animal.  But  to  me  it  looked  cruel  to  attempt  to  ride, 
and  I  am  sure  an  officer  in  a  country  in  which  a  law  exists  against 
cruelty  to  animals,  would  indict  the  first  person  he  saw  riding  up  such 
a  terrible  road  on  the  back  of  a  horse.  I  attempted  to  get  off  the  one  I 
rode,  but  the  guide  advised  me  not  to  do  so.  But  I  am  confident  it  would 
not  have  been  more  fatiguing  to  have  walked,  for  I  was  so  completely 
unnerved  when  the  summit  was  reached,  I  could  have  pleasantly  rested 
the  remainder  of  the  day,  but  there  was  no  time  for  halting  until  we 
arrived  at  Shiloh,  for  we  were  compelled  to  go  as  far  as  Shechem  that 
day,  and  to  do  so  an  early  start  was  necessary.  The  landscape  from 
the  summit  is  very  cheering  after  traveling  up  such  a  terrible  road ; 
and  the  indications  of  an  improved  condition  of  the  soil,  and  evidences 
of  more  cultivation  are  seen  as  far  as  the  mountains  of  Galilee.  Fig, 
orange  and  olive  orchards,  proved  beyond  doubt  we  had  entered  a  fer- 
tile and  more  thrifty  district.  But  very  soon  another  dreary  waste 
•was  entered.  As  the  hill  is  descended  a  deep,  narrow  gorge,  caused  by 
a  winter  torrent,  is  passed  through.  It  has  been  deepened  by  the  flow 
of  water  descending  from  the  mountains  during  the  heavy  rains,  and 
at  times  the  travel  is  almost,  if  not  entirely,  cut  off,  for  it  swells  from 
five  to  thirteen  feet.     We  passed  a  very  lonely  and  wild  glen,  called 


246  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

by  tlie  natives  Wady-el-Hararayeh,  or  "the  robbers'  valley."  Progress 
through  it  is  made  necessarily  slow  on  account  of  the  great  rocks 
that  are  so  thickly  scattered  in  every  part  of  it.  It  is  a  place  for  rob- 
bers who  lay  in  wait  for  any  one  from  whom  they  ai'e  likely  to  gain 
spoils.  Natives  and  strangers  dread  them  alike.  Xear  the  northern 
end  several  caves  are  pointed  out  in  which  robbers  usually  hide.  I  rode 
up  to  them  and  viewed  them.  It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  escape 
should  they  pursue  one,  especially  a  sti-anger,  for  the  horses  can- 
not walk  through  safely  unless  they  go  very  slow,  almost  at  a  rate  of 
about  two  miles  per  hour,  and  the  robbers  walking  could  make  much 
faster  speed  than  a  horse.  I  could  see  no  way  of  escape  in  case  they 
should  come  to  attack  us.  So  I  had  arranged  to  surrender  if  the  crisis 
came.  It  would  have  been  the  only  safe  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  for 
I  was  informed  it  would  be  certain  death  to  attempt  a  combat  with 
them.  The  valley  is  something  over  a  mile  long.  Near  its  northern 
end  is  a  fine  fountain,  called  "  the  robbers'  fountain,"  and  a  few  steps 
to  the  north  of  it  are  the  caves  in  which  these  fiends  have  their  hidings. 
Soon  as  the  valley  is  passed  the  country  begins  to  assume  a  more  cheer- 
ful aspect,  and  the  whole  region  round  about  presents  a  beautiful 
appearance,  and  the  traveler  passes  from  a  rocky,  sterile  wilderness 
into  a  cultivated  and  fruitful  tract  of  country,  which  changes  the  dull, 
solitary  monotony  he  had  been  depressed  with  for  a  few  hours. 

ANCIENT  SHILOH. 

In  order  to  make  a  visit  to  ancient  Shiloh  it  is  necessary  to  leave 
the  main  road  and  travel  to  the  northeast  a  mile  or  two.  The  pass  is 
very  narrow,  and  leads  through  a  very  deep  valley,  then  up  a  high  hill 
and  through  cultivated  fields.  The  site  of  the  old  historic  town  is  about 
half  way  between  Bethel  and  Shechem.  There  are  no  visible  attrac- 
tions at  Shiloh ;  nearly  every  portion  of  the  laud  of  this  once  busy  and 
sacred  place  is  under  cultivation,  except  the  rocky  summit  on  which 
it  is  supposed  the  Sacred  Tabernacle  stood.  When  the  Israelites  re- 
moved it  from  Gilgal,  with  its  precious  furniture,  they  set  it  up  at 
Shiloh,  where  it  remained  three  hundred  years.  The  exact  spot  on 
which  the  holy  tent  stood  is  thought  to  be  on  the  circular  hill,  at  the 
northern  terminus  of  the  small  plain,  over  which  a  number  of  ruins  are 
scattered  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Behind  it  is  a  very  deep  valley ; 
the  descent  into  it  is  very  abrupt  and  above  the  ruins  is  a  terrace  with 
rocky  sides,  and  other  terraces  below  it.  The  whole  length  is  five 
hundred  and  twelve  feet,  by  twenty-seven  feet  wide  ;  upon  this  terrace 
it  is  supposed  the  ancient  Tabernacle  rested.     Shiloh  is  chiefly  noted 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  247 

for  its  connection  with  the  sanctuary.  But  there  are  other  important 
events  connected  with  it  which  are  of  vital  interest  to  the  world  The 
remaining  tribes  who  had  not  gone  to  possess  the  portion  assigned 
them,  met  at  Shiloh  and  arranged  their  meeting  tent,  after  which  they, 
at  the  solicitation  of  Joshua,  dispersed  to  take  charge  of  their  allot- 
ments. It  must  have  been  a  pathetic  scene,  when  they  fondly  embraced 
each  other,  then  separated,  many  of  them  n»ver  to  meet  again.  At 
Shiloh  the  tribes  annually  assembled  to  celebrate  the  great  feast,  and 
renew  their  friendship.  On  these  occasions,  the  village  maidens,  living 
nearby,  would  want  to  enliven  the  festival  by  interspersing  the  various 
amusements  with  dancing.  The  vineyards  were  just  a  short  distance 
from  the  main  road,  in  which  the  Benjamites  hid  themselves  at  one 
time  when  they  came  up  to  the  feast,  and  came  out  suddenly  from  their 
hidings,  when  the  daughters  of  Shiloh  were  going  up  to  the  dance  ;  and 
each  man  took  one  for  a  wife,  and  fled  to  their  district.  While  Samuel 
was  yet  an  infant  he  was  brought  to  Shiloh  by  his  mother  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  Lord  ;  and  there  he  had  his  vision.  It  was  at  Shiloh,  Eli 
died  when  in  very  advanced  age ;  and  although  it  is  not  known  to 
any  one,  yet  it  is  the  general  opinion,  the  old  sire  was  buried  in  one  of 
the  many  rock-hewn  tombs  around  the  mountain  slope.  It  is  a  blessed 
thing  his  resting-place  has  not  been  identified,  or  the  relic-seekers  would 
have  taken  every  particle  of  rock  composing  it,  and  many  of  them 
would  have  reverenced  the  stony  fragments  as  they  do  their  Lord.  It 
is  really  astonishing  how  adoringly  men  appreciate  a  small  stone  or 
stick  coming  from  one  of  the  sacred  places  in  Palestine.  The  Prophet 
Abijah  also  lived  in  Shiloh,  to  whom  came  the  wife  of  Jeroboam  to  seek 
consolation  as  to  the  future  of  her  child  who  was  ill.  When  the  ark 
of  God  was  captured  by  the  Philistines  it  did  not  only  cause  the  death 
of  Eli,  but  of  Shiloh  also,  for  her  glory  departed.  It  is  not  definitely 
known  when  the  Tabernacle  was  removed  from  Shiloh.  But  it  is 
understood,  the  people  who  joyfully  went  over  to  Shiloh  to  the  annual 
celebration,  lost  their  ambition  for  visiting  there  after  the  Ark  of  God 
had  been  taken ;  and  it  may  be  presumed  with  some  assurance,  that 
very  early  after  the  death  of  Eli,  the  Tabernacle  was  transferred 
(Hos.  V.  8  ;  Judges  xx.  45-47  ;  xxi.  19  ;  Josh,  xviii ,  xxii. ;  1  Sam.  iii, 
18-21 ;  iv.  12-18 ;  1  Kings  xiv.  2-16) ;  for  Shiloh  seems  to  have 
gone  into  a  state  of  almost  profound  silence.  It  is  also  noteworthy 
that  while  Samuel  himself  was  busy  in  his  official  ofiice,  oflfering  sacri- 
fices upon  many  altars  on  the  high  places  throughout  his  circuit,  he 
did  not  officiate  at  the  altar  at  which  he  was  solemnly  dedicated  to 
God.     Very  soon  after  Saul  of  Benjamin  was  installed  king  of  Israel, 


248  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

the  Tabernacle  is  known  to  have  been  in  Nob ;  this  is  the  cause  of  such 
a  collection  of  priests  there,  for  at  this  place  the  most  of  their  official 
labors  were  performed.  The  situation  of  Shiloh  was  most  graphically 
detailed  by  the  elders,  who  advised  the  small  number  of  Benjamites, 
who  survived  the  war,  that  nearly  exterminated  the  entire  tribe,  which 
was  precipitated  u^Don  them  by  the  Gibeonites,  because  they  had  broken 
the  covenant  made  between  the  latter  and  Joshua,  to  go  up  to  Shiloh 
and  take  to  themselves  wives ;  and  although  it  was  only  ten  or  twelve 
miles  away,  they  deemed  it  advisable  to  minutely  describe  the  locality, 
that  there  might  not  be  any  mistake,  and  thereby  prevent  themselves 
from  taking  wives  from  any  other  town  or  village  in  the  neighborhood, 
or  any  other  part  of  the  country  except  Shiloh.  They  said  to  each 
other,  "  Behold  there  is  a  feast  of  the  Lord  fi-om  year  to  year  in 
Shiloh,  w^hich  is  on  the  north  of  Bethel,  on  the  east  side  of  the  high- 
way that  goeth  up  from  Bethel  to  Shechem,  and  on  the  south  of 
licbonah." 

The  directions  given  here  are  so  distinctly  clear  the  Benjamites 
could  not  mistake  their  way.  The  destruction  of  Shiloh  was  made 
known  to  the  prophets,  who  lifted  up  their  voices  and  proclaimed  the 
calamity  that  should  lay  the  glory  of  that  festive  city  in  the  dust. 
When  the  prophet  Jeremiah  solemnly  warned  Jerusalem,  he  referred 
to  Shiloh.  "  But  go  ye  now  into  my  place,  which  was  in  Shiloh,  where 
I  set  my  name  at  first,  and  see  what  I  did  to  it  for  the  wickedness  of 
my  people,  Israel."  Those  interested  in  the  fate  of  Shiloh  are  recom- 
mended to  carefully  read  the  seventy-eighth  Psalm,  and  see  what  was 
the  character  of  the  wickedness  indulged  in  by  the  people,  that  pro- 
voked the  Lord  to  anger  with  them  and  their  high  places  and  caused 
His  indignation  to  frown  upon  them  It  seems  plainly  evident  that 
God  forsook  the  Tabernacle  services  at  Shiloh,  because  the  people  who 
pretended  to  celebrate  His  praise  had  virtually  turned  from  the  God 
of  their  fathers,  and  substituted  the  image-worship  with  enthusiastic 
devotion.  It  seems  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  above  all  others,  would  have 
unyieldingly  clung  to  the  Tabernacle  and  its  services.  As  they 
were  its  close  guards  while  coming  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  for  they 
had  their  position  nearest  it,  it  seems  this  alone  would  have  so  won 
their  love  and  veneration  for  the  precious  sanctuary  that  nothing  upon 
the  earth  could  have  broken  it,  and  that  they  would  have  been  eager 
to  defend  its  sanctity,  when  it  Avas  set  up  at  Shiloh,  as  their  fathers 
were,  who  guarded  it  through  the  dreary  wilderness  so  many  long  and 
weary  years.  But  we  find  Ephraim  had  no  stability  nor  any  pious 
attainments  worthy  of  the  blessings  that  distinguished  them  from  the 


FKOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  249 

other  tribes.  It  is  not  unlikely  that,  while  under  the  influence  of 
pride  and  selfishness,  Ephraira  many  times  boasted  of  being  distinct 
from  their  brethren,  because  they  came  down  through  an  unbroken  line, 
from  Joseph,  the  ruler  of  Egypt,  as  did  the  nation  in  the  time  of  our 
Lord  (Josh,  xviii.  1  ;  xix.  51;  1  Sam.  i.  2,  3,  4;  xxi. ;  xxii  ;  Judges 
xxi.  15),  of  being  the  children  of  Abraham,  which  filled  them  so  full 
of  vainglory  and  foolish  conceit,  they  thought  themselves  better  than 
any  other  men,  humanly  speaking.  The  Lord  would  not  suffer  the 
meeting-tent  to  remain  at  Shiloh,  but  caused  it  to  be  moved  entirely 
from  their  borders.  It  is  written,  "  The  Lord  refused  the  Tabernacle 
of  Joseph,  and  chose  not  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  but  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
the  mount  of  Zion,  which  He  loved." 

It  is  certainly  a  great  treat  for  any  one  who  is  in  search  of  more 
light  on  the  history  of  Shiloh,  especially  its  general  situation,  to  take 
time  enough  to  visit  it,  notwithstanding  the  road  leading  to  it  is  by  no 
means  inviting.  My  guide  did  not  care  to  go  over  there  with  me, 
because  it  was  two  or  three  miles  out  of  our  way  ;  but  I  insisted  he  should 
go,  and  it  was  to  me  a  great  satisfaction.  The  scenery  round  about  the 
place  deeply  interested  me  first  of  all,  for  I  had  not  conceived  the 
least  idea  of  its  situation.  It  is  next  to  an  impossibility  to  do  so ; . 
though  we  may  read  of  a  place  until  we  get  its  history  so  definitely  as 
to  repeat  it  verbatim,  and  then  minutely  consider  its  locality  and  situ- 
ation, as  well  as  any  one  can  without  seeing  the  place,  we  will  find  on 
approaching  that  our  conceptions  were  far  from  being  correct  as  to  its 
general  situation.     I  found  this  to  be  my  case  everywhere  I  went. 

THE  PRESENT  APPEARANCE  OF  SHILOH. 

The  whole  area  composing  the  site  of  Shiloh  is  like  a  dreary  wild- 
erness, except  here  and  there  where  the  husbandman  was  plowing  the 
ground  and  sowing  seed.  I  looked  over  on  the  knoll  where  the  sacred 
Tabernacle,  in  which  was  placed  the  Ark  of  God,  stood,  and  viewed 
the  whole  situation  the  best  I  could  under  the  circumstances.  It 
seemed  to  me  at  first  to  be  a  strangely-situated  place  to  set  up  the 
sacred  Tabernacle.  But  it  is  not  the  Shiloh  now  that  it  was  when  Eli 
lived,  and  the  whole  face  of  the  country  for  miles  around  was  almost 
like  a  beautiful  garden,  and  the  firmament  was  echoing  from  hill-top 
to  valley,  the  songs  of  thousands  of  happy  voices,  that  sang  their  heart- 
felt praises  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts ;  and  the  whole  place  was  filled  with 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,  who  met  His  people  there  and  blessed  them. 
One  will  soon  change  his  opinion  as  to  the  propriety  of  locating  the 
sacred  tent  and  ark  here  on  a  second  sober  reflection.  It  is  also  natural 


250  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

to  suppose  that  there  must  have  been  a  large  community  about  Shiloh 
and  its  environments  in  the  time  of  its  prime  glory.  This  is  evident 
from  the  fact,  the  Benjamites  came  over  and  took  wives  to  themselves 
of  the  maidens  living  there. 

The  site  of  the  Tabernacle  being  remote  from  the  main  road,  and 
on  a  hill  a  little  below  the  surrounding  mountains,  seems  to  have 
reminded  the  worshipers  who  came  to  it  of  the  sacredness  of  the 
Holy  Shrine  ;  that  as  Israel  Avas  shut  in  from  other  nations,  both 
socially  and  religiously,  so  w^as  the  meeting-tent  shut  in  from  the  rest 
of  the  world,  and  the  whole  region  within  its  mountain-walls  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  Lord.  And  even  though  many  ages  have  been  launched  into 
the  deep  abyss  of  eternity  since  the  Tabernacle  was  taken  from  Shiloh, 
and  the  physical  features  of  the  country  greatly  changed,  the  songs 
of  high  praises  having  long  since  been  hushed,  except  those  chanted 
by  the  birds  who  still  linger  about  the  site  of  the  ancient  meeting-tent, 
though  all  nature  seems  cheerless  around  this  once  sanctified  spot,  yet 
to  me  the  whole  scope  within  the  surrounding  mountains  seemed  to 
have  an  air  of  sacredness  that  indicated  the  presence  of  the  Holy 
One,  still  lingering  about  the  place  once  occupied  by  the  sacred  shrine. 
I  felt  like  saying,  "  Put  off  thy  shoes,  for  the  ground  on  which  thou 
standest  is  holy ; "  for  the  valleys,  the  hill-tops,  and  the  mountains 
round  about  that  formed  the  spacious  enclosure,  seemed  to  be  clothed 
with  a  majesty  not  common  to  others  not  entitled  to  sacred  distinction. 

lebDnah  and  its  ancient  tombs. 

On  leaving  Shiloh  for  Lebonah,  the  pass  is  a  long,  deep  descent, 
through  terraced  fields  of  wheat,  barley,  and  other  products,  and  cross- 
ditches  in  every  direction  ;  finally  the  main  highway  is  reached,  at  a 
point  where  tradition  says  our  Lord  rested  for  a  night  or  more,  and 
iust  above  the  plain,  along  the  hillside,  is  ancient  Lebonah.  There  are 
many  tombs  cut  in  the  rocks  about  this  region  ;  in  some  of  them  it  is 
thought  the  remains  of  several  Israelites  were  interred  about  the  time 
Shiloh  was  aglow  with  prosperity.  The  traveler  having  entered  the 
ancient  highway  to  Shechem  and  the  far  north,  he  may  be  assured  that 
he  is  passing  over  the  very  same  ground  the  patriarchs  and  prophets 
of  old  frequented,  the  very  route  our  Lord  j^assed  through  with  His 
disci])les,  and  the  same  way  Saul  of  Tarsus  went  when  on  his  w^ay  to 
Damascus  to  persecute  the  church. 

The  knowledge  of  the  fact  we  are  traveling  the  same  highway 
frequented  by  the  Loi'd  Jesus,  both  in  His  youth  and  while  going  to 
and  from  Judea  and  Galilee,  on  His  mission  of  mercy  and  love,  expels 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  251 

the  fatigue  of  the  rough  and  stony  way.  After  passing  a  short  dis- 
tance beyond  Lebonah  the  plain  of  Mukhna  is  entered.  Here  a  beau- 
tiful sight  looms  up  to  view,  and  many  objects  of  interest  absorb  the 
traveler's  attention.  The  plain  is  about  seven  miles  long  and  two  miles 
wide.  On  its  east  side  the  line  of  hills  is  low,  dark  and  rocky ;  the 
hills  on  the  west  side  are  much  higher,  and  very  rugged  and  barren. 
On  the  very  highest  point  projecting  into  the  plain,  can  be  seen  from 
the  distance  a  white  tomb,  situated  on  one  of  the  peaks  of  Mt.  Gerizim. 
Many  of  them  are  seen,  both  in  Egypt  and  Palestine ;  they  are  always 
erected  upon  the  highest  summits  to  be  found  in  the  country,  and  can 
be  seen  several  miles  away.  Pains  are  taken,  by  those  having  them 
in  charge,  to  keep  them  beautifully  whitened,  especially  during  the 
season  when  the  most  travel  through  the  country  is  usual.  They  are 
known  as  tombs  of  men  whose  self-denial  and  religious  devotion  caused 
popular  opinion  to  regard  them  as  saints  or  holy  men.  When  these 
distinguished  characters  die,  their  remains  are  laid  to  I'est  in  one  of 
these  whitened  sepulchres,  which  are  generally  prepared  by  the  persons 
whilst  in  health.  It  is  strange  that  there  is  never  more  than  one  of 
these  tombs  found  on  the  same  hill,  no  matter  how  much  space  it 
occupies,  and  they  are  usually  several  miles  apart.  It  is  the  opinion, 
some  rule  or  understanding  existed,  that  the  remains  of  but  one  person 
could  be  hurried  on  the  same  summit.  The  people  are  astonishing 
imitators,  and  some  are  always  found  to  follow  the  examples  of  the 
ancient  fathers,  and  it  is  highly  probable,  the  desire  of  this  peculiar 
class  of  men,  known  as  holy  or  saintly  people,  to  be  buried  on  the 
highest  summit  of  the  most  lofty  mountains,  has  existed  from  the  time 
that  information  of  the  burial  of  Moses  upon  Mt.  Pisgah  was  made 
known  to  the  world. 

The  point  in  the  plain  of  Mukhna  from  which  this  tomb  is  seen  is 
about  six  miles  away,  and  far  in  the  distance  Mt.  Hermon's  snowy 
heights  are  so  distinctly  visible,  one,  not  acquainted  with  the  geography 
of  the  country,  would  suppose  it  was  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  miles 
away  ;  but  you  would  have  to  travel  at  least  forty  miles,  the  nearest 
possible  way,  before  the  base  of  the  mount  could  be  reached,  and  several 
more  before  the  region  of  the  snow  is  entered.  The  air  is  so  very  rare, 
that  distant  objects  seem  very  near.  When  the  weather  is  bright 
Mt.  Ebal  cannot  be  seen  at  the  point  Gerizim  is  first  noticed,  because 
it  sets  in  farther  northward.  The  plain  now  known  as  Mukhna  was 
formerly  called  Moreh,  signifying  a  camp,  It  is  the  place  where  the 
Israelites  halted  when  they  came  up  to  Shechem  to  renew  their  covenant 
with  the  Lord,  after  their  conquest  at  Ai.     Hence,  the  name  of  the 


252  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

plain  was  given  it  because  of  that  event.  A  few  miles  from  Shechem, 
the  road  forks,  both  leading  to  it.  The  one  skirting  the  foot  of  Geri- 
zim  is  the  main  highway,  and  is  used  mostly  in  dry  weather,  or  by 
those  who  wish  to  go  the  shortest  way.  But  the  road  thi'ough  the 
midst  of  the  plain  is  the  more  important  to  sight-seers,  and  also  easier 
to  travel.  There  is  a  village  near-by,  opposite  the  fork,  on  the  slope  of 
a  hill  called  in  Arabic,  Awertah,  having  two  ancient  tombs  on  its 
most  prominent  point  called  el-Azeir  and  el-Azeirat.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition, which  identifies  the  tombs  as  those  of  Eleazar  and  Phinehas, 
the  son  and  grandson  of  Aaron,  respectively.  This  tradition  is  so 
generally  credited,  that  the  most  critical  explorers  of  that  country 
have  confidence  in  it.  Therefore,  the  village  AAvertah  is  the  ancient 
Gibeah  of  Phinehas.  These  tombs  are  regarded  by  all  capable  of 
investigating  their  origin,  to  be  Jewish  of  very  ancient  date,  and  they 
believe  them  to  be  the  resting-places  of  the  persons  above  mentioned. 

JACOB'S   WELL. 

Not  far  from  the  tombs,  the  plain  is  crossed  at  the  north  side ;  at 
which  point  the  valley  of  Shechem  is  entered  ;  and  just  here  the  old 
historic  well  of  Jacob  is  located.  It,  like  all  other  places  of  sacred 
memory  in  Palestine,  is  under  the  care  of  some  religious  denomination, 
who  guard  it  with  the  most  cautious  vigilance.  The  well  is  in  the 
custody  of  the  Greek  Church.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  an  area  enclosed 
by  a  thick  stone  wall,  very  low  and  in  some  places  very  weak  ;  as  an 
entrance  can  be  obtained  without  passing  through  the  entrance  gate. 
When  we  arrived  there  it  was  getting  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  for 
some  reason  the  keeper  was  absent,  and  as  I  was  especially  anxious 
to  see  it  that  day,  for  it  would  have  taken  too  much  time  to  return 
from  Shechem  the  next  morning;  having  to  go  a  long  journey  north- 
ward, we  concluded  to  climb  the  low  wall  and  enter  the  enclosure 
regardless  of  consequences.  We  found  it  an  easy  matter  to  accom- 
plish and  were  soon  standing  over  the  famous  well  of  the  illustrous 
patriarch,  who  was  the  great  ancestor  of  the  children  of  Israel.  I 
came  from  the  scene  feeling  fully  satisfied  that  my  visit  was  highly 
profitable.  About  the  identity  of  the  well,  there  is  not  a  shadow  of 
doubt,  for  all  sects  regard  it  as  the  ancient  well,  planted  thousands  of 
years  ago,  by  the  man  whose  name  it  bears  ;  Jews,  Christians,  Samari- 
tans and  Mohammedans  alike  confidently  believe  this  to  be  the  origi- 
nal well.  The  land  immediately  circumferencing  it  is  the  land  Jacob 
bought  from  the  sons  of  Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem.  Here  the 
patriarch  built  an  altar  which  he  called  El-Elohe-Israel. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  253 

This  well  is  regarded  as  a  very  sacred  place  by  all  Christians,  and 
there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  our  Lord  sat  here  at  noon,  on 
the  day  He  came  to  the  district  of  Samaria  with  His  disciples  en  route 
to  Galilee ;  and  being  thirsty,  He  stopped  at  the  well  to  refresh  Him- 
self. The  fields  round  about,  upon  which  we  had  the  pleasure  to  gaze, 
are  those  corn-fields  to  which  He  referred  when  He  said  to  His  disciples, 
**  Lift  up  your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields,  for  they  are  white  already 
to  the  harvest."  One  can  scarcely  realize  he  is  standing  on  the  ground 
and  by  the  well  made  memorable  and  hallowed  by  the  presence  of  the 
Son  of  God,  whose  voice  uttered  such  pungent  truths,  while  sitting 
upon  a  stone-seat,  that  the  whole  village  of  Sychar  was  aroused  to  a  sense 
of  duty.  Jesus  was  going  over  from  Judea  to  Galilee  on  a  missionary 
tour,  and  the  nearest  and  most  direct  route  was  through  the  district  of 
Samaria  (Deut.  xi.  30 ;  John  iv.  35  ;  Joshua  viii.  30-35 ;  xxiv.  33-38 ; 
Gen.  xii.  6 ;  xxxiii.  20).  Our  Lord  exhibited  an  entirely  different 
spirit  from  the  Jews  ;  who,  rather  than  pass  through  Samaria,  would 
take  the  trans-Jordanic  road  by  the  way  of  Perea,  that  they  might  shun 
the  Samaritan  people,  between  whom  and  the  Jews  there  were  no  fra- 
ternal relations.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  understand  the  intense  bitter- 
ness they  entertained  against  each  other,  if  we  consider  the  event 
which  caused  the  breach.  But  Jesus,  having  a  tender  feeling  for  the 
Samaritans  and  desiring  them  to  be  partakers  of  His  mercies,  pre- 
ferred going  the  more  direct  way  over  to  Galilee.  When  our  Lord 
started  from  Judea  to  the  northern  district,  in  company  with  His  dis- 
ciples, "  He  must  needs  go  through  Samaria."  The  Jews  maintained 
a  relentless  hatred  against  them,  which  was  reciprocated  by  the  Samari- 
tans. This  feeling  seems  to  exist  at  present  just  as  strongly  as  in  the 
time  of  our  Lord.  We  deem  it  best  at  this  point  to  examine  the  his- 
tory of  this  people  and  some  of  the  peculiarities  common  to  their 
character,  before  we  give  an  outline  statement  of  the  events  that 
occurred  in  and  about  Shechem.  The  Samaritans  are  a  mixed  people, 
and  were  very  numerous  in  the  time  of  our  Lord  ;  but  at  present  there 
are  few  remaining  who  can  claim  to  have  regularly  descended  from  the 
original  stock.  There  are  a  few  living  in  Shechem,  who  cling  with 
precious  fondness  to  their  primitive  religion  ;  and  to  speak  in  the  mild- 
est terms,  they  hate  the  Jews  with  an  unyielding  hatred,  too  intense  to 
be  expressed.  Not  long  after  the  abolishment  of  the  northern  king- 
dom, and  the  transportation  of  the  people  beyond  the  Euphrates,  a  new 
state  of  things  took  place  in  Shechem.  It  was  at  this  time  and  under 
these  circumstances  this  new  race  appeared.  The  origin  of  the  Samar- 
itans is  disclosed  in  the  first  and  second  Kings,     In  these  we  are  told 


254  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

the  Assyrians  removed  the  Israelitish  inhabitants  as  captives  of  war  to 
their  own  hind,  and  colonized  a  number  of  the  people  of  their  own  gov- 
ernment in  Canaan,  to  take  charge  of  the  places  made  vacant  by  the 
capture.  The  people  colonized  from  Assyria,  being  comparatively  few, 
were  not  capable  of  protecting  themselves  nor  the  country  ;  so  that  the 
wild  beasts,  that  had  been  kept  under  control  by  the  former  inhabitants, 
increased  so  greatly  they  distressed  them  as  if  a  devouring  epidemic 
had  visted  their  homes.  They  were  a  very  superstitious  people,  and 
attributed  the  great  influx  of  wild  beasts  to  their  lack  of  knowing  the 
religion  that  was  usually  known  to  the  Israelites.  That  they  might  be 
instructed  in  its  merits,  one  of  the  priests  who  was  taken  into  captivity 
was  sent  to  them.  He  made  Bethel  his  headquarters,  and  taught  the 
people  the  form  of  the  worship  of  the  Lord.  This  new  form  of  service 
Tvas  adopted  by  them,  but  they  did  not  abandon  their  heathen  religion  ; 
they  held  to  both  the  God  of  the  Israelites  and  their  own  dumb  idols. 
Now,  as  to  how  this  people  so  greatly  multipled  is  a  matter  u^Don  which 
many  opinions  have  been  founded. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  SAMARITANS. 

Some  think  the  Samaritans  are  wholly  of  heathen  origin  ;  others 
believe  they  are  a  mixture  of  the  Israelites  and  Assyrian  colony.  It 
is  not  to  be  sui)posed  all  the  Israelites  were  carried  away  into  captivity  ; 
it  is  not  known  in  the  annals  of  warfare  that  the  victors  have  captured 
all  the  vanquished  and  transported  them,  especially  where  they  were 
very  numerous,  as  were  the  Israelites.  It  is  also  known  that  in  all 
cases  of  conquest,  social  and  matrimonial  relations  existed  between  the 
conqueror  and  conquered,  when  they  mingled  together  in  the  time  of 
peace.  It  is  known  that  such  relations  existed  among  the  very  highest 
oflicials  of  the  two  kingdoms  of  the  children  of  Israel,  notwithstanding 
the  Lord  had  forbidden  such  relations.  It  can  be  readily  inferred  that 
a  people  like  the  Assyrians,  who  were  under  no  restrictions  iu  this 
regai'd,  would  unhesitatingly  have  social  and  conjugal  relations,  with 
the  people  they  found  in  the  country,  in  which  they  were  colonized. 
Josephus,  to  whom  we  must  concede  great  liberality  in  his  voluminous 
writings,  was  not  free  from  partiality  ;  and  we  must  conclude  his  feel- 
ing towards  the  Samaritans  was  not  of  the  most  friendly  character. 
And,  therefore,  he  naturally  would,  in  the  absence  of  positive  proof, 
hesitate  stubbornly  to  claim  any  consanguineous  relation  to  them. 
When  we  consider  the  various  circumstances  connected  with  the  con- 
dition of  these  people,  socially  and  otherwise,  we  do  not  think  it  a  step 
beyond  the  limits   of  an  ordinary  prerogative  to  say  that  the  great 


FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  255 

Jewish  historian  was  in  error  when  he  disclaimed  that  any  social  or 
matrimonial  relation  existed  between  the  two  races.  Indeed,  it  is 
clearly  evident  the  burden  of  proof  is  against  him.  We  know  from 
the  record  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  the  people  sent  uj)  to  Samaria,  to 
occupy  the  country  in  place  of  the  Israelitish  captives,  were  of  several 
race  types.  "The  King  of  Assyria  brought  men  from  Babylon,  and 
from  Cuthah,  and  from  Avva,  and  from  Hamath,  and  from  Sepharwaim, 
and  placed  them  in  the  cities  of  Samaria,  instead  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  they  possessed  Samaria  and  dwelt  in  the  cities  thereof." 
These  various  race-types  settled  in  the  country  among  the  remnant  of 
the  Hebrews,  who  had  not  been  carried  to  Babylon,  and  it  is  not  reason- 
able to  suppose  those  who  were  left  in  the  land  ostracised  themselves  from 
the  fraternal  association  of  the  people,  by  whom  they  had  been  subordi- 
nated, any  more  than  it  could  be  reasonably  supposed  that  the  Africans, 
who  were  in  a  state  of  slavish  subordination  in  this  land,  could  have 
kept  themselves  free  from  such  relations  with  those  who  ruled  them. 
It  should  be  remembered  there  was  no  law  against  matrimonial  relations 
between  the  Israelites  and  other  peoples,  upon  racial  lines,  but  it  was  a 
religious  necessity.  The  proneness  of  the  Hebrews  to  embrace  the 
religion  of  heathens  made  it  impossible  to  have  free  and  full  inter- 
course with  them  and  maintain  the  true  worship  of  God. 

This  barrier,  if  it  was  considered  at  all  by  the  remaining  Iraelites 
(which  is  very  doubtful),  was  removed  when  the  people  partially  em- 
braced their  religion,  after  the  priest  had  been  returned  to  them  from 
among  the  captives,  to  teach  the  new-comers  the  principles  of  the 
Israelitish  worship.  It  is  also  known  that  there  are  even  to-day,  among 
those  claiming  to  be  Jews,  a  comparatively  small  number  who  have 
come  down  unmixed  from  the  j)rimitive  Israelitish  progenitors.  It 
must  be  agreed,  therefore,  that  although  we  must  accord  to  Josephus  a 
large  degree  of  liberality  and  fairness,  his  opposition  to  the  Samaritan 
sect  caused  him  to  greatly  blunder  when  he  tells  the  w^orld  there  were 
no  social  or  matrimonial  relations  between  the  Israelites  and  the  people 
colonized  among  them  from  Babylon. 

Having  stated  the  above  facts,  which  to  me  seem  perfectly  clear,  I 
must  frankly  confess  my  opinion  is  that  the  Samaritans  are  a  mixed 
people  composed  of  several  races  (2  Kings  xvii.  24),  Jewish  in- 
cluded. Josephus,  referring  to  the  vacillating  character  of  the  Samari- 
tans, says ;  "  When  the  Jews  are  in  adversity,  they  deny  they  are  of 
•kin  to  them,  and  then  they  confess  the  truth ;  but  when  they  perceive 
some  good  fortune  hath  befallen  them,  they  immediately  pretend  to 
have  communion  with  them,  saying,  '  they  belong  to  them,  and  derive 


256  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

their  genealogy  from  the  posterity  of  Joseph,  Ephraira  and  Manas- 
sah.'  "  It  is  certain  they  claimed  this  relationship  in  the  time  of  our 
Lord,  which  He  did  not  dispute ;  and  when  we  consider  the  pains  He 
took  to  settle  vexed  questions,  we  incline  strongly  to  the  opinion,  that 
if  the  Samaritans  had  been  ignorant  of  their  origin,  or  had  knowingly 
or  wilfully  claimed  a  relationship  they  knew  to  be  false.  He  would 
have  corrected  them  and  set  the  matter  aright. 

The  woman  of  Sychar,  while  conversing  with  Jesus  at  the  well, 
said  to  Him :  "  Art  Thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob,  who  gave  us 
this  well  ?"  claiming,  in  these  words,  Jacob  as  their  great  ancestor,  and 
themselves  as  having  descended  through  his  line.  She  also  said  to  the 
Saviour :  "  Our  fathers  worshiped  in  this  mountain,"  evidently  refer- 
ring to  Joshua  and  others,  who  worshiped  there  in  early  days.  Now, 
inasmuch  as  our  Lord  did  not  dispute  this  claim  of  blood-relation  to 
the  patriarch,  nor  of  the  fathers  to  the  woman,  or  any  others  during 
the  two  days  He  remained  in  Sychar,  it  seems  consistent  to  infer  that 
He  indorsed  her  statement  in  regard  to  the  matter. 

There  is  another  matter  of  importance  necessary  to  be  considered 
before  leaving  this  point:  the  expression  of  the  Samaritans  to  Zerub- 
babel  and  his  assistants  when  re-building  the  Temple ;  they,  wishing  to 
be  allowed  to  assist  the  workmen,  presented  their  plea  as  follows: 
"  For  we  seek  your  God  as  you  do,  and  we  do  sacrifice  unto  Him  since 
the  days  of  Esar-haddon,  King  of  Assyria,  who  brought  us  hither."  It 
will  be  seen,  if  a  little  time  is  taken  to  investigate  this  peculiar  applica- 
tion, that  it  has  no  bearing  on  the  fact  of  their  relation  to  the  Jews.  It 
refers  especially  to  the  words  "  which  brought  us  hither."  It  is  cer- 
tainly known  the  petitioners  were  not  those  who  had  been  transferred 
to  Samaria  by  the  King  of  Assyria,  but  descendants  of  them,  there- 
fore, the  words,  "  which  brought  us  up  hither,"  refer  to  their  fathers 
who  settled  (2  Kings  xvii.  24)  in  the  land  seventy  years  prior. 
This  was  a  usual  expression  among  the  Jews  when  referring  to  their 
fathers'  deliverance  from  Egypt;  the  words,  "brought  us  up  out  of 
Egypt,"  were  many  times  addressed  to  the  generations  who  lived  hun- 
dreds of  years  after  those  who  entered  Canaan  were  dead.  These  peti- 
tioners meant  by  their  statement,  that  they  were  in  the  land  by  virtue 
of  the  colonization  of  their  forefathers,  and  not  that  they  themselves 
were  "  brought  hither."  On  the  self-same  principle,  the  African  race 
in  America  say.  We  were  brought  here  from  Africa ;  it  is  evidently 
known  that  reference  is  made  to  the  early  fathers  and  not  to  the  pres- 
ent generation ;  for  millions  of  them  have  never  seen  that  far-ofi"  land 
and  do  not  care  to  see  it. 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  257 

^Ve  have  presented  these  items  of  history  to  clear  away  any  clouds 
of  doubt  that  might  hinder  a  clear  observation  of  the  fact  as  to  the 
relation  between  the  Jews  and  Samaritans.  Those  of  this  mixed  race 
living  in  Sliechem  atpi^esent  are  the  only  representatives  of  the  ancient 
stock.  They  closely  resemble  the  Jews  in  their  features  and  general 
bearing.  They  are  as  ever  greatly  opposed  to  their  long-standing 
enemy,  and  have  no  more  dealings  with  them  now  than  in  those  days 
when  the  woman  met  our  Lord  at  the  Avell.  It  is  generally  believed 
by  those  who  have  expressed  themselves  on  the  subject,  that  the 
Samaritans  are  the  descendants  of  the  Jews  who  ^vere  left  at  the  time 
of  the  captivity ;  that  intermarriages  took  place  between  them  and 
the  new-comers,  the  result  of  which  being,  the  introduction  of  a  mixed 
people.  AVhen  the  Jews  were  permitted  to  return  from  Babylon,  the 
Samaritans'  chronicles  state,  a  portion  of  the  congregation  followed 
Sanballat,  the  remaining  portion  adhering  to  Zerubbabel.  It  seems 
that  among  the  many  things  that  caused  ill-feelings  between  the  two 
races  was  concerning  the  proper  place  of  worship ;  the  Jews  thought 
Mount  Moriah  was  the  place,  and  the  Samaritans  contended  for  Mount 
Gerizim.  But  there  are  indications,  that  the  Samaritans  became 
willing  to  unite  with  the  Jews,  in  rebuilding  the  waste  places  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Temple,  that  there  might  be  a  common  interest  existing 
between  them,  and  we  have  not  found  it  recorded  or  implied  that  any 
arrangements  were  being  made  for  the  erection  of  a  temple  in  this 
district  until  after  their  offer  to  help  the  Jews  had  been  refused.  But 
being  denied,  they  became  exasperated  and  used  every  means  possible, 
fair  and  otherwise,  to  oppose  them.  The  Samaritans  introduced  every 
measure  they  could  conceive,  to  interfere  with  their  Jewish  neighbors. 
They  calumniated  them  in  the  most  bitter  terms,  and  brought  indict- 
ments against  them  to  the  king  of  Persia,  and  even  searched  the 
records  to  find  something  written  that  would  stimulate  them  to  divide 
the  religious  sentiment  permanently. 

Finding  the  command  of  Moses,  that  on  entering  the  land,  the 
people  should  proceed  to  Mt.  Gerizim,  and  one-half  should  stand  on 
its  slope  and  respond,  amen,  to  the  blessing  pronounced  by  the  Levites, 
it  was  deemed  by  the  Samaritans  that  this  mount  was  a  proper  place 
to  build  a  Temple.  Therefore,  they  set  themselves  to  the  work  to 
accomplish  it ;  they  also  instituted  an  order  of  ceremonies  according 
to  the  letter  of  the  law.  About  the  time  of  these  movements,  which 
so  rapidly  followed  one  another,  a  great  tumult  began  in  Judah  con- 
cerning some  of  the  officials  in  high  position  over  in  Jerusalem  who 
were  charged  with  unfair  dealing  (Ezra  iv.  1-4 ;  Neh.  iv. ;  Deut.  xxvii. 
17 


258  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

11-13).  Many  of  the  Jews,  feeling  tlieir  rights  had  been  greatly 
imposed  upon,  left  and  went  over  to  Samaria,  and  assisted  in  building 
the  temple  on  Mt.  Gerizim.  It  is  said,  one  of  the  causes  of  this  move- 
ment of  the  Samaritans  was  the  expulsion  of  the  son  of  a  high  priest 
from  Jerusalem,  because  he  had  married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat,  a 
Samaritan  governor.  It  is  supposed  this  man  was  afterward  made 
high  priest  of  the  temple  on  Mt.  Gerizim.  It  then  became  a  familiar 
custom  for  dissatisfied  Jews  to  go  over  to  Samaria  and  join  the  people 
in  their  worship  claiming  to  be  disgusted  with  the  manner  the  services 
were  conducted  in  Jerusalem.  The  Samaritans,  like  the  Jews,  firmly 
believed  in  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  entertained  a  hope  He  would 
descend  from  them,  and  not  from  the  remnant  of  the  restored  captives 
of  Judah  who  had  come  from  Babylon.  The  sacred  books  of  the 
Jews,  that  had  been  partially  countenanced  by  the  Samaritans,  were 
at  once  stubbornly  rejected,  except  the  Pentateuch.  There  seemed  to 
be  an  endless  chain  of  incidents  that  bred  strife  and  unyielding 
enmity  between  these  races;  so  that  they  seemed  not  only  to  hate  each 
other,  but  the  very  ground  they  walked  upon.  Therefore,  the  Jews 
living  in  the  northern  and  southern  districts,  would  go  miles 
out  of  their  way  rather  than  go  through  Samaria  ;  and  the  enmity 
existed  equally  as  strong  between  those  Jev/s  who  left  and  went  over 
to  the  Samaritans,  and  their  kindred  whom  they  had  forsaken,  as  if 
they  were  iull-fledged  Samaritans.  Now,  after  all,  it  is  strikingly  won- 
derful what  a  tremendous  flame  of  hatred  a  small  matter  can  kindle. 
It  no  doubt  has  puzzled  many  to  understand  why  these  jieople  were 
not  allowed  to  test  their  sincerity,  when  they  made  such  a  strong 
appeal  to  assist  in  rebuilding  the  Temple.  But  a  close  examination 
will  reveal  the  fact,  that  the  Samaritans  were  only  pailially  converted 
from  heathenism.  The  priests  sent  to  them  did  not  succeed  in 
influencing  them  to  wholly  abandon  their  native  religion  ;  and  it 
would  have  been  most  unfortuate  to  the  true  worship,  to  have  admitted 
them  fully  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Jews.  It  would  have  been  a 
most  blessed  thing  if  there  could  have  been  a  harmonious  relation 
among  the  people,  so  that  there  would  have  been  but  one  people,  one 
God  recognized,  and  one  religion  known.  But  the  proneness  of  the 
Jews  to  follow  strange  gods  is  well  and  widely  known ;  and  if  the 
Samaritans  had  been  permitted  to  associate  with  them  in  re))airing  the 
city  and  Temple,  their  influence  over  them  would  have  been  disastrous 
to  the  true  worsliip.  It  were  fiir  better  to  have  the  two  races  at  vari- 
ance forevei'  than  to  insult  the  Lord  whose  hand  of  tenderness  had  led 
them  from  captivity  and  restored  them  to  their  own  land,  than  to  have 


FEOM  JEEUSALEM  TO  SHECIIEIM.  259 

contaminated  themselves  with  a  people  whose  religion  was  not  approved 

of  by  Him. 

THE  WOMAN  OF  SYCHAR. 

When  the  Lord  Jesus  came  through  Samaria  He  found  the  most 
bitter  feeling  existing  between  the  Jews  and  Samaritans,  and  when  He 
sat  upon  one  of  the  stone  seats  at  the  well,  while  His  disciples  went 
to  get  food  over  in  the  town,  a  woman  from  Sychar,  a  small  village  a 
few  hundred  yards  away,  came  to  draw  water  and  saw  a  Jew  sitting 
there.  She  paid  no  attention  to  him  w^hatever,  nor  w'ould  she  under 
any  circumstances  have  passed  the  usual  friendly  courtesies  if  the 
Saviour  had  not  aj)proached  her  in  such  tones  as  to  cause  her  to  enter 
into  a  conversation  with  Him.  And  before  she  consented  to  comply 
with  His  wish,  or  allow  herself  to  be  detained,  she  wished  first  of  all 
to  know  how  it  was  that  He,  being  a  Jew,  would  ask  a  Samaritan  for 
a  drink,  for  the  feeling  between  those  people  was  so  strong  that  a  Jew' 
would  have  died  before  he  would  have  asked  a  favor  so  small  even  as 
a  cup  of  cold  water ;  and,  as  has  been  stated,  they  would  not  pass 
through  the  country  unless  their  business  was  such  that  they  could  not 
avoid  it.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  woman  of  Sychar  was  not 
surprised  to  see  a  Jew  sitting  at  the  well,  for  no  doubt  she  had  seen 
others  there  from  time  to  time,  whose  business  called  them  through 
that  way,  and,  as  the  plain  of  Mukhna  is  hot  and  shadeless,  they  would 
naturally  come  to  the  well  to  draw  a  cool  drink  of  water  to  refresh 
themselves ;  but  such  was  not  often  the  case.  It  is  also  noteworthy 
the  Jews  invariably  took  with  them  their  vessel  to  draw  water,  for 
they  would  not  drink  from  one  used  by  the  Samaritans ;  hence,  the 
woman  said  to  our  Lord,  ''Sir,  thou  hast  nothing  to  drawAvith,  and  the 
well  is  deep."  She  had  no  idea  He  would  drink  from  her  vessel,  or,  if 
He  would,  it  would  have  been  a  blight  on  her  to  have  permitted  it. 
Therefore,  she  could  see  no  way  to  comply  with  the  stranger's  request. 
The  way  was  then  open  to  begin  a  sermon  to  the  woman,  by  the  old 
historic  well,  that  she  would  remember  to  her  latest  days,  and  that 
would  reach  all  the  people  in  the  town,  although  they  did  not  hear 
Him  deliver  it.  He  had  time  to  make  known  His  mission  to  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  method  used  to  open  the  way  was  a  sermon  preached  to  a 
lone  woman,  with  as  much  power  and  earnestness  as  if  the  whole  area 
encircling  the  well  had  been  crowded  with  attentive  hearers.  Surely 
an  important  lesson  is  taught  all  those  who  profess  to  teach  the  Gospel ; 
that  the  good  done  does  not  depend  upon  the  number  of  people  within 
the  sound  of  their  voices,  but  the  earnestness  they  command  to  dis- 
charge   their   duty,  though    there    may    be  but    one  present.     It  is 


260  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

now,  as  in  antique  times,  the  custom  of  all  travelers,  whether  natives 
or  strangers,  to  carry  vessels  with  them  to  draw  water,  for  they  are 
just  as  necessary  as  it  is  to  take  provisions  for  the  journey.  The  wells 
are  far  a]Dart,  and  often  travelers  must  go  ten  or  twelve  miles  before 
they  come  to  one.  There  are  but  few  brooks  or  running  streams  in 
Palestine,  and  only  two  or  three  of  them  clear  enough  to  drink.  But 
in  the  event  one  is  come  upon  which  may  be  used  for  drinking 
purposes,  and  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  vessel  to  dip  with,  it  would  be 
a  very  strange  request,  if  not  insulting,  to  ask  any  whom  we  might 
meet  at  one  of  the  wells  to  allow  us  to  drink  out  of  their  water-pots  ; 
indeed,  it  would  seem  to  them  as  inconsistent  as  it  did  to  the  woman  of 
Sychar,  whom  Christ  addressed. 

The  women  and  young  maidens  are  still  the  water-bearers.  They 
often  go  in  small  companies,  especially  Avhen  they  have  a  distance  of 
two  or  three  miles  to  go,  and  can  be  seen  almost  from  early  morning 
until  late  in  the  evening,  waiting  for  their  turn  to  draw  water.  They 
seem  to  have  a  regular  system  in  procuring  it.  The  first  comers  are  the 
first  served,  no  matter  how  small  the  company  may  be.  And  should 
there  be  one  who  would  dare  intrude  upon  the  one  who  had  come  first 
(as  the  shepherds  of  Midian  did  to  the  daughters  of  Reuel,  whom  they 
would  not  allow  to  draw  water  for  their  flocks  until  their  own  were 
served,  when  Moses  interposed  for  them),  there  would  be  such  an 
uproarious  tumult  that  a  stranger  would  be  impressed  that  some  one  had 
met  with  a  lamentable  misfortune.  But  such  a  thing  seldom  if  ever 
occurs,  unless  by  special  consent  one  may  allow  some  others  to  take 
their  place.  When  the  woman,  by  her  slowness  to  comply  with  the 
request  of  the  stranger  with  whom  she  was  talking,  strongly  indicated 
her  unwillingness  to  do  so.  He  said  to  her,  "  If  thou  hadst  known  the 
gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  sayeth  to  thee.  Give  me  to  drink,  thou 
wouldst  have  asked  of  Him,  and  He  would  have  given  thee  living 
water."  She  was  immediately  aroused,  and  became  curiously  anxious, 
to  know  something  of  the  water  that  would  keep  her  from  thirst  and 
save  her  the  trouble  and  labor  of  drawing  from  the  well,  for  it  is 
evident  she  did  not  comprehend  the  meaning  of  our  Lord,  although 
His  words  were  plainly  presented.  She  was  so  absorbed  in  His 
remarks,  she  had  forgotten  her  errand  to  the  well,  and  that  she  was 
having  a  friendly  conversation  with  a  Jew,  which  was  a  thing  not  to  be 
tolerated  among  the  Samaritans.  She  had  become  extremely  desirous 
for  "  living  watei'."  Our  Lord,  seeing  He  had  sufiiciently  won  her 
attention,  further  informed  her  as  to  the  conditions  upon  which  she 
could   obtain   it.     That   there  must  be  a  change  in  her   internal  and 


FROM  JERUSALEM   TO  SHECHEM.  261 

external  life,  both  with  regard  to  herself  and  to  the  Jews  whom  she 
and  her  people  inveterately  hated,  and  that  she  must  comply  with  the 
law  of  Moses  to  whom  she  claimed  relationship  whose  law  she 
professed  to  observe.  Jesus  was  leading  her  into  a  state  of  mind  that 
would  enable  her  to  look  upon  her  own  life,  and  allow  her  to  see  how 
deeply  her  lewdness  had  covered  her,  and  the  immediate  need  of  being 
delivered  from  such  a  life.  To  accomplish  this,  Jesus  made  an  impres- 
sion upon  her  conscience  so  effectual,  she  was  compelled  to  open  another 
door  for  the  truth  to  uncover  her  sins  and  bring  her  conduct  of  the 
past  and  present  before  her,  to  an  astonishing  if  not  alarming  degree ; 
for  the  conversation  that  followed  touched  the  very  quick  of  her  soul. 
That  He  might  reveal  His  divinity  to  her  and  make  her  feel  that  the 
person  with  whom  she  was  conversing  was  more  than  the  ordinary 
Jew,  she  had  b^en  accustomed  to  see  passing  through  the  country,  or 
sitting  at  the  well.  He  impressed  her  that  it  was  necessary  to  have  her 
husband  present,  before  the  "  life-giving  water  "  could  be  given  to  her. 
Therefore  He  said,  "  Go  call  thy  husband,"  that  both  might  enjoy  the 
blessing.  She,  with  an  innocent  expression  that  was  doubtless  endeavoring 
to  hide  the  guilt  then  disturbing  her  conscience  said,  "  I  have  no  hus- 
band." He  endorsed  her  answer,  and  at  once  entered  into  the  secrets 
of  her  life  with  such  exactness  she  was  overwhelmed  with  amazement. 
Jesus  uncovered  her  life  more  and  more,  as  if  reading  a  correctly 
written  diary,  telling  her  all  she  had  done.  The  woman  must  have 
been  profoundly  astonished,  while  the  secrets  of  her  inner  life  were 
being  unfolded  by  the  Master  so  accurately ;  she  could  only  stand  and 
wonder  who  the  wise  stranger  could  be.  And  when  He  had  gone  farther 
and  deeper  into  her  social  life,  she  concluded  the  stranger  must  be  a 
prophet ;  and  as  it  was  commonly  believed  Elijah  must  come  before 
the  appearance  of  the  Messiah,  she  may  have  thought  it  was  he,  for 
there  were  no  prophets  among  the  Jews  at  that  time,  nor  had  there 
been  for  centuries,  except  John  the  Baptist,  who  was  not  generally 
regarded  as  such.  So  she  said  to  Jesus,  "  Sir,  I  perceive  that  thou  art 
a  prophet ;  "  or,  I  feel  you  have  told  me  the  whole  truth, — "  who  art 
thou  ?  "  It  should  be  called  to  mind  that  Jesus  selected  an  opportune 
time  to  unfold  to  this  woman  her  conduct,  when  no  one  was  near ;  not 
even  the  disciples  heard  the  conversation. 

This  is  a  most  important  lesson,  and  would  be  of  unspeakable 
benefit  to  us  all  if  followed.  Feeling  satisfied  she  was  in  the  presence 
of  a  man  of  God,  as  the  prophets  were  called,  she  wished  Him  to 
settle  the  long-agitated  and  most  vexing  question  that  had  been  a 
source  of  contention  ever  since  the  return  of  the  captives  from  Baby- 


262  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Ion;  one  that  had  formed  a  mountain  wall  of  division  between  the 
Jews  and  Samaritans  which  seemed  im])ossible  to  penetrate,  for  they 
had  no  dealings  together.  The  woman  did  not  change  the  conversa- 
tion simply  to  avoid  a  further  disclosure  of  her  life,  for  Christ  had 
told  her,  according  to  her  own  words,  '-all  things  that  she  had  doiie." 
But  as  she  was  in  conversation  with  one  who  was  familiar  with  the 
facts,  she  wished  that  question  of  questions  to  be  settled  in  her  mind. 
Therefore,  in  order  to  draw  from  the  stranger's  mind  something  that 
would  explain  the  question  over  which  there  had  been  so  much  dispute, 
she  said  to  the  Saviour,  "Our  fathers  worshiped  in  these  mountains'' 
(referring  to  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  which  were  in  front  of  her,  a  short 
distance  to  the  north  and  west),  and  ye  say  that  Jerusalem  is  the 
jilace  where  men  ought  to  worship."  It  is  veiy  clear  that  Jesus  had 
so  won  the  confidence  of  the  woman,  she  was  ready  to  implicitly  con- 
fide in  whatever  He  might  tell  her  concerning  the  matter;  and  inas- 
much as  He  had  told  her  such  pungent  truths  as  to  her  own  life,  she 
could  not  believe  He  would  do  otherwise  in  this  gravely  perplexing 
question  as  to  the  proper  place  of  worship.  Her  spiritual  appetite  had 
been  so  thoroughly  aroused,  she  seemed  to  be  ready  to  go  wherever 
the  proper  place  was,  so  that  she  might  secure  the  appi'obation  of  the 
Lord ;  indeed,  she  was  deeply  and  keenly  convicted  Her  people 
were  of  the  opinion,  because  of  a  tradition  of  long  standing,  that  there 
was  no  other  place  under  the  sun  more  sacred  and  holy  than  Mount 
Gerizim,  and  that  from  its  soil  the  Lord  made  Adam,  and  on  its  brow 
was  situated  the  Garden  of  Eden  in  which  he  was  placed ;  and  from 
its  lofty  summit  the  tree  of  life  lifted  up  its  boughs,  in  connection 
with  all  the  other  precious  fruit  trees  of  the  garden  ;  that  here,  Noah 
landed  his  precious  cargo  after  the  fiiood,  and  here  he  built  an  altar 
and  sacrificed  to  the  Lord ;  that  Abraham  came  with  his  son  Isaac  to 
this  same  mount,  to  ofl^er  him  up  in  obedience  to  the  command  as  a 
sacrifice  to  God  upon  the  altar  of  fire ;  that  Jacob,  when  on  his  way 
to  Mesopotamia,  seeking  a  refuge  from  the  wrath  of  Esau,  rested  his 
head  upon  a  stone  here,  on  the  night  he  saw  in  his  dream  the  wonder- 
ful ladder  reaching  from  heaven  to  earth,  and  the  angels  ascending 
and  descending.  Here,  and  not  at  Gilgal,  the  twelve  stones  were  set 
up  which  the  childi'en  of  Israel  took  from  the  bed  of  the  river  Jordan. 
But  notwithstanding  these  flattering  traditions  attaching  to  the  moun- 
tains before  her,  the  woman  wished  to  hear  the  decision  of  this  won- 
derful personage,  whose  words  of  truth  had  won  her  soul.  The  Saviour 
knew  the  feelings  of  the  woman — that  she  was  ripe  for  instruction,  and 
He  took  time  to  explain  the  matter  to  her,  even  though  the  disciples 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  263 

were  opposed  to  it.  They  were  of  the  opinion  it  would  be  of  more 
profit  for  Him  to  eat  something,  than  to  spend  time  talking  with  the 
woman,  whose  race  they  had  been  taught  to  despise  and  to  have  no 
dealings  with,  except  purely  business  transactions.  But  Jesus  knew 
the  importance  of  the  moment,  and  used  it  to  a  most  beneficial  advan- 
tage. He  at  that  opportune  moment  unfolded  the  truth  to  the  woman 
so  clearly  that  men  of  every  generation  since  her  day  have  gladly 
embraced  it.  She  heard  the  explanation,  that  it  was  not  material 
as  to  the  ])lace  where  men  should  worship  the  Father,  but  the  manner 
was  the  matter  of  chief  interest,  that  is.  He  must  be  "  worshiped  in 
the  spirit  and  in  truth." 

It  can  be  seen  how  easily  Christ  discharged  this  vexed  question 
without  deciding  with  either  party,  and  at  the  same  time  brought  a 
great  truth  to  the  surface  that  settled  the  matter  for  all  time  to  come. 
The  woman  is  inclined  to  think  the  Messiah  had  come,  of  whom  Moses 
and  the  prophets  wrote,  and  was  talking  with  her ;  or  some  one  gifted 
as  man  had  never  before  been  known  to  be  in  the  knowledge  of  ex- 
plaining the  deep  things  of  God.  "I  know  that  the  Messiah  cometh 
(which  is  called  Christ)  ;  when  He  is  come.  He  will  declare  unto  us  all 
things,"  said  the  woman  Then  Jesus  said,  "  I  that  speak  unto  thee 
am  He."  On  hearing  this,  she  left  her  water-pot  at  the  well  and  ran 
to  the  city  and  said  to  the  men,  "Come,  see  a  man  which  told  me 
all  things  that  ever  I  did  ;  can  this  be  the  Christ?" 

Jacob's  well  is  seventy-five  feet  deep,  and  seven  feet  six  inches  in 
diameter,  partly  inclosed  within  a  stone  building  so  as  to  prevent  the 
public  from  seeing  it,  as  are  all  the  places  in  the  land  where  it  is  pos- 
sible to  do  so.  About  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  there  was  a 
church  built  over  it,  said  to  have  been  cruciform,  with  the  well  in  the 
centre.  There  are  a  few  old  pillars  and  other  ruins  near  the  well, 
which,  it  is  supposed,  were  used  in  the  old  church  building.  It  was  a 
pleasure  to  me  to  have  an  opportunity  to  stand  upon  this  renowned 
spot  and  take  a  survey  of  the  country  round  about,  especially  the  bald 
mountains  at  which  the  woman  of  Sychar  pointed  while  conversing 
with  Jesus,  and  to  meditate  concerning  the  things  that  occurred  there 
thousands  of  years  gone  by. 

In  the  plain  near  the  well,  Abraham  built  an  altar  while  sojourn- 
ing as  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land ;  and  here,  many  years  later,  Jacob 
came  and  settled  for  a  time ;  having  bought  a  plot  of  ground,  he  dug 
a  well  for  the  use  of  his  household  and  flocks.  Notwithstanding  he 
bought  the  land  and  paid  for  it,  attempts  were  made  to  dispossess  him 
of  it,  but  he  managed  finally  to  regain  his  legitimate  claim.    After  he 


264  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

moved  down  to  Hebron,  he  sent  his  sons  over  there  with  the  flocks  to 
pasture  them  on  his  own  fields.  Jacob  referred  to  the  event  Avhen, 
Hearing  the  end  of  life,  he  said,  "  I  took  it  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Amorites  with  my  sword  and  bow."  Joseph,  whom  God  had  raised  up 
to  save  his  father  and  all  his  household  from  the  distresses  of  the  seven 
years'  famine,  came  through  this  field  in  which  the  well  is  located 
when  in  seai'ch  of  his  brethren.  It  may  be,  that  while  I  walked 
about  there,  my  feet  marked  the  soil  where  Abraham,  Jacob,  Joseph 
and  our  blessed  Lord  walked  when  in  that  region.  Here  by  the  well 
sat  our  Lord  in  the  hottest  portion  of  the  day,  and  drew  an  illustrious 
comparison  (Gen.  xii.  6:  xxxiii.  19:  xxxvii  15:  Josh,  xviii.  22)  be- 
tween the  effects  of  the  water  which  He  asked  of  the  woman  and  that 
blessed  stream  which  continually  flows  from  the  throne  of  God,  from 
■which  He  preached  one  of  the  most  memorable  sermons  of  His  life  to 
a  poor  woman,  and  it  has  come  thundering  dow^n  the  ages  with  all  the 
freshness  and  power  it  had  when  first  proclaimed,  so  that  millions  of 
thirsty  souls  have  heard  the  good  tidings  and  prayed,  "  Lord,  give  me 
evermore  of  this  water." 

THE  TOMB  OF  JOSEPH. 

Just  a  few  hundred  yards  north  of  the  W'ell  is  the  tomb  of  Joseph, 
whose  bones  were,  according  to  his  dying  request,  brought  out  of  Egypt 
by  the  Israelites  and  buried  in  that  portion  of  the  ground  bought  by 
his  father.  It  is  venerated  by  all  the  native  religious  communities. 
It  is  specially  remarkable  that  Joseph's  remains  should  be  brought 
over  from  that  far-away  country,  and  rested  in  the  very  field  through 
which  he  passed  the  last  time  he  was  in  the  neighborhood,  when  but 
a  lad  seventeen  years  old.  Sychar,  the  towai  in  which  the  woman 
lived  who  was  so  graciously  entertained  by  our  Lord,  is  a  little  to  the 
northeast  of  Joseph's  tomb,  and  is  a  small  village  six  hundred  yards 
north  of  the  well.  It  is  notew^orthy,  that  the  extortionate  Arabs  have 
not  selected  a  site  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  location  of  the  woman's 
home,  as  seems  to  be  the  rule.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Sychar 
and  Shechem  are  distinct  places ;  sometimes  they  are  taken  for  the 
same  place,  and  thereby  the  student  gets  greatly  confused  and  mis- 
represents the  one  or  the  other  when  referring  to  certain  events  of 
antique  times.  This  shows  the  importance  of  making  the  closest 
examination  of  history  before  one  attempts  to  instruct  others ;  for  a 
single  error  may  lead  thousands,  historically  astray,  even  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  author.  Shechem,  which  was  in  later  times  called 
Neapolis,  or  New  City,  by  Vespasian,  who  while  emperor  caused  it  to 


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FEOM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  265 

be  rebuilt,  is  at  present  called  by  the  Arabs  Nablous.  But  Syebar, 
now  called  Iskar,  situated  a  few  hundred  yards  north  of  Jacob's  well, 
just  at  the  base  of  Mt.  Ebal,  accords  with  the  ancient  town  of  the 
same  name  referred  to  in  the  New  Testament,  When  our  Lord  came 
to  the  well,  it  is  written,  "  He  came  to  a  city  in  Samaria  called 
Sychar ;  near  to  the  parcel  of  ground  that  Jacob  gave  his  son  Joseph ; 
and  Jacob's  well  was  there."  The  description  of  this  town  is  so  very 
minutely  defined,  it  would  seem  that  no  mistake  could  be  made  in 
locating  the  little  city  the  Saviour  entered  on  the  day  He  sat  at  Jacob's 
well.  Several  authors  have  said,  He  came  to  Shechem  first,  and  it  was 
called  Sychar  in  the  New  Testament.  But  it  seems  to  me  altogether 
improbable.  For  we  are  to  remember  that  on  coming  to  the  well  our 
Lord  was  fatigued  ;  and  had  He  passed  around  the  foot  of  Gerizira  to 
Shechem  and  then  come  back  to  the  well,  He  would  have  walked  six 
miles  farther  than  He  should  have ;  for  the  city  is  at  least  three  miles 
from  the  well.  Now  when  we  take  the  Bible  for  our  guide  and  read, 
"  He  must  needs  go  through  Samaria,"  there  can  be  no  other  conclu- 
sion than  that  He  came  the  old  highway  by  the  way  of  Lebonah  up 
through  the  jilain  of  Mukhna,  direct  to  the  well.  St.  John  says,  "  He 
came  to  a  city  called  Sychar — and  Jacob's  well  was  there."  The 
village  called  Sychar  accurately  accords  with  the  definition.  The 
town  in  question  is  only  about  six  or  seven  hundred  yards  from 
Joseph's  tomb,  which  is  in  the  parcel  of  ground  Jacob  gave  him,  and 
about  the  same  distance  from  the  well.  But  Shechem  is  at  .least  three 
miles  away.  It  is,  therefore,  clear  that  our  Lord  came  to  Sychar  en 
route  to  Jacob's  well,  and  not  Shechem.  We  make  this  jDoint  in  the 
face  of  opposition,  for  the  reason  our  Lord  could  have  come  no  other 
way  to  go  through  Samaria;  and  the  same  highway  is  open  now  that 
was  traveled  in  His  day,  and  we  do  not  see  how  any  one  could  other- 
wise conclude  who  has  visited  that  portion  of  Palestine. 

ANCIENT  SHECHEM. 

Shechem  is  an  ancient  city,  about  thirty-five  miles  north  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  three  miles  from  Jacob's  well,  having  the  Jordan  on  the 
east  and  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west.  Situated  between  Mounts 
Ebal  and  Gerizim  is  the  valley  of  Shechem,  surrounded  by  beautiful 
olive  groves,  and  is  said  to  be  watered  by  eighty  springs,  which  is  a 
blessing  that  no  other  city  in  Palestine  enjoys,  not  even  Jerusalem,  and 
cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  other  city  in  historic  events,  except  Jeru- 
salem, Hebron  and  Bethel.  The  pame  Nablous,  given  it  by  the 
natives,  is  a  contraction  from   Neapolis,  by  which  it  was  known  for 


266  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

many  years.  But  anciently  it  was  called  Shechem,  or  Chesliem.  The 
Canaanites  were  in  possession  of  this  country  when  Abraham  first 
came  to  it,  and  it  is  therefore  regarded  as  the  oldest  city  in  Palestine  of 
which  there  is  any  knowledge.  The  inhabitants  boast  of  it  as  being 
the  oldest  city  in  the  world,  having,  as  it  does,  a  history  reaching  four 
thousand  years  into  the  past.  When  Jacob  came  and  settled  in  the 
vicinity,  it  is  said  that  the  city  of  Shechem  and  the  country  round 
about,  was  in  possession  of  the  Havites,  having  Hamer,  the  father  of 
Shechem,  for  governor.  There  is  a  long  traiu  of  historical  events  run- 
ning through  many  centuries  connecting  Shechem  with  the  old  and 
new  dispensations.  It  is  mentioned  prominently  wdth  the  early  events 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  alike  conspicuous  during  and  after  the 
time  of  our  Lord  and  His  apostles.  It  was  in  all  probability  about  the 
time  of  the  great  persecution  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  during  which 
the  Jews  killed  Stephen,  and  the  apostles  were  all  scattered  abroad 
throughout  Judea  and  Samaria,  that  Philip,  Peter  and  John  preached 
the  gospel  of  Christ  in  Shechem.  It  was  also  one  of  the  Christian 
strongholds  in  the  time  of  the  supremacy  of  the  Crusaders  in  Pales- 
tine. Like  many  other  cities  in  Palestine,  Shechem  has  passed  through 
many  bitter  ordeals  from  foes  without  and  within.  It  is  one  of  the 
principal  cities  visited  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  ranks  in  this  I'espect 
with  all  the  cities  and  towns  except  Joppa,  Jerusalem,  Jericho,  Bethel, 
Bethlehem  and  Hebron.  When  these  places  are  visited,  the  traveler 
turns  his  face  towards  Shechem  and  its  environments.  Jacob's  well 
and  Joseph's  tomb  are  as  eagerly  sought  by  the  sight-seer  as  the  plain 
of  Mamre,  and  the  great  Mosque,  Machpelah,  where  the  mortal  re- 
mains of  Abraham  and  a  portion  of  his  family  are  buried.  The  indig- 
nation of  Simeon  and  Levi  was  kindled  against  the  city,  on  account  of 
a  grave  insult  committed  by  the  male  inhabitants;  they  therefore  rose 
up  in  their  might  and  slaughtered  them,  and  captured  the  city.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  woeful  future  for  the  old  historic  city,  that 
brought  to  the  people  untold  misery.  When  Jacob  left  Haran  with 
his  family  and  possessions  he  demanded  all  the  strange  gods  in  their 
possession,  and  when  they  were  given  him  he  hid  them  by  an  oak 
near  Shechem.  It  was  the  place  of  the  great  convention  of  the  ten 
tribes  or  their  representatives,  when  they  revolted  from  the  dominion  of 
Rohoboam  and  organized  a  new  kingdom,  with  Jeroboam  as  king.  The 
first  mention  of  Shechem  in  the  Bible  is  concerning  the  sojourn  of 
Abraham  there  as  mentioned  above.  It  was  strongly  urged  by  many 
who  were  in  the  northern  kingdom  that  the  king  should  establish  his 
headquarters  there  permanently,  but  this  failed,  Tirzah  and  Samaria 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  267 

being  more  preferable  as  the  seat  of  power.  In  tbe  days  of  tbe  Judges 
Shecbem  became  a  Levitieal  city,  and  it  was  here  that  the  men  of 
the  town  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  crowning  Ahimelech,  the 
Shechemite,  son  of  Gideon  ;  and  it  was  from  the  summit  of  Mount 
Gerizim,  Jotham,  his  brother,  who  alone  escaped,  when  Ahimelech 
caused  seventy  of  his  brethren  to  be  massacred,  addressed  the  men  of 
Shechem  in  flaming  words  concerning  the  tree  and  the  bramble.  The 
conspiracy  (which  was  a  common  occurrence  in  those  times)  caused  the 
overthrow  of  the  city.  The  people  expressed  their  preference  for  an 
iron-clad  heathen  of  the  Shechemites  to  rule  over  them,  and  shut  the 
gates  against  Ahimelech,  whereupon  he  captured  the  city,  beat  it 
down  and  sowed  salt  from  one  end  to  the  other.  It  was  rebuilt  by 
Jeroboam  soon  after  he  was  chosen  king  of  Israel,  and  made  his  capi- 
tal for  a  short  time,  when  it  was  moved  to  Tirzah.  It  so  deeply 
afflicted  Shechem  that  it  never  fully  recovered,  for  just  as  soon  as  the 
seat  of  power  was  removed,  the  city  suddenly  sank  into  a  state  of 
almost  profound  silence,  and  from  that  time  forward  but  little  men- 
tion is  made  of  it  during  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  of  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  northern  kingdom. 

There  seems  to  have  been,  after  the  permanent  establishment  of 
idol-worship  in  Israel,  a  continuous  downward  tendency  of  the  ancient 
city.  It  was  invaded  and  plundered  by  the  formidable  Saracens  in  the 
middle  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  again  in  the  latter  part  of  it.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century,  an  earthquake  occurred,  which 
did  a  great  deal  of  damage  to  the  country  round  about,  and  Shechem 
was  not  spared ;  it  is  said  to  have  sustained  great  damage.  The  Sara- 
cens were  compelled  to  abandon  the  city  about  the  middle  of  the  thir- 
teenth century,  and  have  never  been  able  to  regain  it,  although 
attempts  were  made.  The  Moslems  were  found  to  be  a  powerful  foe, 
entirely  too  strong  for  their  enemies.  There  are  several  mosques  in 
Shechem.  As  might  be  supposed,  the  most  celebrated  of  them  is  called 
the  Great  Mosque.  This  seems  to  be  a  favorite  name  with  the  ]\Ioham- 
medans,  as  "  Metropolitan  "  is  among  certain  Christian  denominations 
in  America.  Tiiis  "  Great  Mosque "  was  at  one  time  a  Christian 
church.  There  are  many  buildings  used  by  the  Mohammedans  as 
mosques,  that  were  originally  erected  by  Christians  for  church  purposes. 
When  the  crusaders  were  in  power  they  had  churches  in  every  city 
and  town  in  Palestine,  all  of  which,  with  rare  exceptions,  were  con- 
verted into  Moslem  places  of  worship  after  the  great  victory  Saladin 
achieved,  on  the  fifth  day  of  July,  eleven  hundred  and  eighty-seven, 
who   nearly   annihilated    the   crusaders    in  the   memorable   conflict. 


268  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Shechem  was  visited  again  with  an  earthquake,  in  the  first  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  nearly  overwhelmed  ;  and  soon  after  that 
destructive  visitation  Ibrahim  Pasha  plundered  it  and  distressed  the 
people  greatly.  But  of  late  there  has  nothing  of  a  serious  nature 
occurred  to  mar  the  peace  of  the  inhabitants,  and  there  is  comparative 
peace  between  the  several  religious  sects  who  live  there.  The  whole 
population  is  estimated  to  be  twenty  thousand,  of  whom  one  hundred 
and  sixty  are  Samaritans,  and  nineteen  thousand  and  forty  are  Moham- 
medans of  the  most  radical  character.  They  are  full  of  selfish  pride, 
and  classed  with  the  most  bigoted  people  in  the  land.  It  is  of  great 
interest  to  travelers  through  northern  Palestine  to  go  up  to  the  summits 
of  Mt.  Gerizim  and  Mt.  Ebal,  although  the  ascent  is  long  and  tedious, 
but,  like  Tabor,  Carmel  and  other  mountains,  it  well  pays  one  for  the 
toils  and  hardships  of  the  journey,  when  the  top  is  reached,  to  view 
the  extensive  ruins  dispersed  over  a  large  tract  of  country.  The  prin- 
cipal ruins  of  Mt.  Gerizim,  are  seen  on  the  top  of  a  very  rocky  hill ; 
some  being  the  remains  of  buildings  erected  by  the  Samaritans  when 
they  were  in  a  high  state  of  enthusiasm,  over  the  religious  subject  that 
had  been  so  hotly  discussed  and  caused  much  excitement  a  question 
that  remained  unsettled  until  Christ  met  the  woman  at  the  well.  There 
are  other  ruins  that  date  back  to  the  time  of  the  crusaders. 

Moses,  the  man  of  God  and  great  leader  of  the  Israelites  from 
bondage,  had  been  made  familiar  with  these  two  mountains,  that  stand 
out  like  mighty  sentinels  guarding  the  sacred  spot  in  the  valley  below, 
where,  for  the  first  time,  an  altar  blazed  with  a  sacrifice  acceptable  to 
the  Lord,  in  the  land  of  Canaan ;  and  where  God  made  a  covenant,  to 
give  the  beautiful  and  fruitful  land  upon  which  he  looked,  for  an  ever- 
lasting inheritance  to  him  and  his  descendants.  He  knew  of  the  plot 
of  ground  Abraham  bought  from  the  sons  of  Hamar,  and  in  his  pro- 
phetic visions  saw  other  important  events  that  had  transpired  there, 
and,  therefore,  gave  a  special  charge  to  the  people,  that  on  coming  into 
the  land  of  their  inheritance,  they  should  proceed  to  the  place  which 
was  dedicated  to  God  by  their  forefathers,  and  made  hallowed  by  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  solemnly  renew  their  covenant  before  the 
Most  High.  In  obedience  to  this  command,  Joshua,  as  soon  as  the 
way  was  clear  enough  to  make  a  safe  trip  (after  the  capture  of  Ai), 
went  over  to  Gerizim  and  assembled  the  hosts  in  the  valley  of  Shechem 
that  they  might  prepare  for  the  solemn  service  that  should  soon  follow. 
This  scene  is  fully  recorded  in  the  book  of  Joshua  and  should  be  care- 
fully read  by  all  Bible  students.  The  people  assembled  on  the  side  of 
the  mountains  and  in  the  valley,  while  the  Levites  assembled  on  the 


FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  SHECHEM.  269 

mountains ;  from  the  summit  of  Ebal  smoke  was  seen  ascending  from 
the  altar  that  Joshua  had  built  of  "  unhewn  stones,"  according  to  the 
directions  of  Moses,  and  he  wrote  a  copy  of  the  Law  upon  the  stones 
in  the  presence  of  all  the  people.  The  stipulations  of  the  Law  were 
read  in  their  hearing  of  all  Moses  commanded.  It  is  clear  from  the 
command  of  Moses,  which  was  faithfully  observed  by  Joshua,  that 
the  Israelites  were  divided  by  tribes  while  the  law  was  being  read. 
Simeon,  Levi,  Judah,  Issachar,  Joseph  and  Benjamin,  were  to  stand 
on  Mt.  Gerizim  ;  Eeuben,  Gad,  Asher,  Zebulun,  Dan  and  Xaphtali, 
on  Mt.  Ebal ;  and  the  Levites  repeated  with  a  loud  voice  the  word  of 
the  law,  and  all  the  people  at  the  end  of  each  command  said,  "Amen." 
It  is  a  singular  fact  that  by  reason  of  the  formation  of  the  mountains 
into  an  amphitheatre,  a  natural  sounding-board  is  constituted  by  which 
persons  can  hear  each  other  distinctly  talking  in  an  ordinary  tone  of 
voice  from  either  side,  or  conversations  can  be  had  with  persons  in  the 
valley  by  those  on  the  summit  of  either  mountain  just  as  plainly  as 
though  they  were  standing  at  an  ordinary  talking  distance. 

THE  VIEW  FROM  GERIZIM  AND  EBAL.. 

These  two  historic  mountains,  standing  so  prominently  along  the 
plain  of  Mukhna  and  the  valley  of  Shechem,  furnish  many  topics  for 
the  Bible  student's  perusal.  Both  are  nearly  three  thousand  feet  high ; 
Ebal  is  said  to  be  about  three  hundred  feet  higher  than  Gerizim.  The 
view  from  either  is  sublime  ;  the  plain  and  valley  seem  like  a  beauti- 
ful green  carpet  under  you.  The  hills  of  Moab  and  Gilead  are  in  full 
view  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan,  while  Sharon,  Joppa  and  the  Great 
Sea,  are  plainly  seen  on  the  west ;  Hermon  and  the  mountains  of 
Galilee  loom  up  on  the  north  and  northwest  and  all  the  highland 
round  about.  The  sides  of  Ebal  are  more  difficult  to  climb  than 
Gerizim,  having  a  very  narrow  path  winding  up  to  the  summit,  which 
has  on  its  highest  point  an  enclosure  ninety-two  feet  square,  with  walls 
said  to  be  twenty  feet  thick.  It  is  the  general  opinion  that  these  ruins 
are  the  remains  of  a  fortress  located  here  by  the  crusaders,  as  it  was  a 
familiar  custom  with  them  to  strongly  fortify  their  highlands. 

The  Samaritans  are  very  much  reduced  numerically,  so  that  there 
is  but  a  small  community  left.  They  live  in  Shechem,  and  have  a  small 
building  which  they  call  "  The  Samaritan  Temple,"  on  the  slope  of 
Mt.  Gerizim.  In  it  they  keep  the  Roll  of  the  Law,  which  no  one  is 
allowed  to  examine  except  by  special  permission  from  the  High  Priest, 
which  must  be  done  in  his  august  presence.  It  is  not  often  permitted; 
therefore,  a  person  may  feel  himself  highly  favored  who  is  given  liberty 


270  THE  LAXD  OF  PROMISE. 

to  see  tliem.  These  ancient  documents  have  given  rise  to  much  dis- 
cussion, especially  the  oldest,  which  they  claim  was  written  in  the  time 
of  Moses,  and  the  production  of  the  grandson  of  Aaron.  But  while.it 
is  very  stubbornly  doubted  that  these  old,  time-worn  manuscripts  were 
written  in  the  time  of  Moses,  or  by  the  grandson  of  Aaron,  it  is  certain 
they  are  very  old,  and  were  written  long  before  the  Christian  Era. 
The  oldest  one  is  much  worn  with  age,  and  so  defaced  (Josh.  viii.  33  : 
Deut.  xxvii.  13)  that  those  who  have  charge  of  it  can  only  read  a  little 
here  and  there  in  it . 

The  Temple  is  surprisingly  small  and  low,  having  a  plain,  old- 
fashioned  interior  that  would  remind  one  of  a  small  country  church, 
with  a  white-washed  finish  rather  than  a  temple.  But  the  people  are 
anxious  to  have  it  look  as  ancient  as  possible,  and  anything  that  will 
give  it  that  appearance  is  appreciated  by  them,  and  they  seem  to  be 
just  as  proud  of  it  as  though  it  were  a  spacious  house.  It  is  located  in 
a  very  quiet  and  lonely  part  of  the  city  on  the  northwest,  and  one 
must  prepare  for  a  very  unpleasant  trip  to  reach  it,  for  it  is  a  half 
hour's  walk  from  the  convent,  including  the  short  time  required  to 
view  the  bazaar,  which  is  uninviting.  The  Temple  cannot  be  reached 
conveniently  riding,  on  account  of  the  crooked  and  roundabout  way 
leading  to  it,  therefore  it  can  be  made  in  less  than  half  the  time  walk- 
ing. The  passes  or  narrow  streets  are  winding,  rough,  dark,  and 
shamefully  filthy.  When  Ave  arrived  there  it  seemed  a  pleasure  to  the 
priest  to  open  the  door  to  admit  us.  In  a  few  moments  the  High 
Priest  appeared,  who,  after  the  usual  salutations,  began  1o  exhibit  the 
precious  relics  it  contains.  The  recess  where  they  are  kept  is  called 
Mizbah ;  it  is  about  five  feet  square  and  generally  covered  \\ith  a  veil. 
It  is  so  situated,  that  the  worshipers,  in  looking  at  it,  are  always  facing 
their  sanctuary  on  jNIt.  Gerizim.  There  is  a  striking  resemblance  be- 
tween the  Jews  and  Samaritans  in  worship,  which  is  a  clear  evidence 
that  they  largely  embraced  the  Jewish  mode  in  the  early  ages.  The 
High  Priest  chants  the  service  like  the  Kabbi,  and  generally  takes  the 
place  of  that  functionary  in  administering  the  higher  order  of  service. 
It  requires  but  a  short  time  to  see  all  there  is  on  exhibition ;  and  were 
it  not  for  the  ancient  manuscripts  it  would  not  pay  any  one  to  go 
there. 

The  Samaritans  seem  to  be  a  people  well-disposed  towards  strangers, 
and  are  glad  when  they  pay  their  little  Temple  a  visit.  But  the  ma- 
jority are  said  to  be  a  do-less  people,  depending  more  upon  charity 
than  labor  for  their  maintenance.  They  have,  for  many  ages,  with- 
drawn themselves  from  the  social  communion  of  other  races  in  the 


FROM   JEEUSALE:M  to  SHECHEM.  271 

vicinity,  so  that,  in  their  present  reduced  state,  thej'  must  necessarily 
marry  their  bhjod-rehations,  which,  to  my  mind,  is  the  major  cause  of 
their  sickly  expressions  and  the  fast  rate  in  which  they  have  thinned 
out.  It  will  not  be  a  century  before  there  will  not  be  a  full-blooded 
Samaritan  in  the  community,  and  their  existence  will  be  a  thing  of  the 
past.  They  still  hold  their  passover  on  Mt.  Gerizim,  and  the  ascent 
to  the  ancient  site  is  generally  made  by  tourists. 

The  following  is  in  part  a  description  of  a  method  of  conducting  the 
feast,  copied  from  Murray's  Hand  Book :  "  We  proceed  along  the  due  east 
toward  a  conspicuous  hill  on  a  rocky  knoll,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  reach 
the  base  of  the  latter.  Here  we  observe  a  few  perches  of  tolerably  level 
ground,  where  the  Samaritans  encamp  at  the  feast  of  the  passover."  On 
its  eastern  side  is  a  small  rectangular  area,  surrounded  by  stones  like  the 
foundation  of  an  old  building.  In  its  centre  is  a  trough  about  a  foot 
deep,  and  four  feet  long,  filled  with  ashes  and  calcined  bones,  the 
remains  of  the  passover  lambs,  which  are  burned  with  fire  accoiding 
to  the  command  of  the  law.  Beside  the  enclosure  is  a  circular  pit 
three  feet  in  diameter  and  eight  or  ten  feet  deep,  in  which  the  lambs 
are  roasted.  The  Samaritan  passover  is  rigidly  observed  in  accordance 
with  the  exact  directions  laid  down  by  Moses  (Exodus  xii.  3-28).  In 
this  respect  it  diifers  considerably  from  the  modern  Jewish  rite,  and  is 
in  consequence  far  more  interesting.  The  tents  of  the  community  are 
pitched  around  the  inside  of  the  enclosure  formed  by  rough  walls, 
which  is  called  Khurbet  Luz,  from  a  Samaritan  tradition  which 
makes  Gerizim  the  scene  of  Jacob's  dream.  The  Tabernacle  stands  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  camp  close  to  the  rough  trough.  On  the 
afternoon  preceding  the  eating  of  the  passover,  the  scene  is  animating 
and  picturesque  ;  the  younger  men  complete  all  the  necessary  ^^repa- 
rations,  and  some  of  the  older  ones  recite  jDortions  of  the  law,  but  the 
most  of  them  are  inclined  to  take  things  easy.  They  remain  in  and 
about  the  tents  enjoying  solid  comfort.  As  the  approach  to  sunset 
comes  on,  they  collect  in  the  tabernacle  and  the  women  and  children 
take  their  positions  in  the  doors  of  their  tents.  The  men  are  generally 
clothed  in  long  white  garments,  surplice-like.  The  ceremony  now 
begins  with  prayer  and  a  spreading  out  of  hands.  Six  or  seven  lambs 
are  kept  in  readiness  in  a  space  behind  the  tabernacle  door  ;  a  careful 
watch  is  kept  on  the  downward  progress  of  the  sun,  and  as  he  di]is  into 
the  west  and  hides  from  mortal  view  ^Gen.  xxviii.  19  ;  Exodus  xii.  10), 
the  High  Priest  comes  forward  out  of  the  tabernacle  accompanied  by 
the  white  robed  men,  who  form  a  group  around  the  place  of  sacrifice. 
When  the  sun  is  down   the   priest  repeats  in  a  loud   voice,  and  very 


272  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

rapidly,  the  Samaritan  version  of  the  latter  half  of  the  sixth  verse  of 
the  twelfth  chapter  of  Exodus.  In  an  instant  the  lambs  are  seized, 
and  passed  from  one  to  another  of  the  sacrificial  ministers  until  they 
reach  the  white-robed  men,  whose  business  it  is  to  slay  them.  As  they 
lay  quivering  in  death,  two  or  three  of  the  surpliced  young  men  catch 
the  blood  in  basins  and  proceed  around  the  camp,  sprinkling  the  upper 
sides  of  the  posts  of  the  tent  doors,  and  the  foces  of  the  women  and 
children,  with  blood.  The  lambs  are  then  examined,  and  if  pronounced 
faulty,  they  are  rejected  and  consumed  in  a  separate  fire.  If  passed  as 
without  blemish,  their  fleeces  are  stripped  off  and  the  entrails  are 
extracted ;  each  lamb  is  then  pierced  lengthwise  by  a  wooden  spit  with 
a  cross  bar  near  the  extremity,  and  carefully  placed  in  the  circular  pit, 
which  has  been  heated  like  an  oven.  When  all  are  finally  deposited, 
the  mouth  of  the  pit  is  closed  with  sticks  and  mud,  and  there  they 
remain  until  fully  roasted.  Unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs  having 
been  already  prepared,  as  soon  as  roasting  is  complete,  which  is  not  as  a 
general  thing  until  midnight,  the  whole  male  community  gather  around 
the  oven,  the  covering  is  torn  ofi",  and  the  roasted  lambs  are  dragged 
out  on  their  long  spits,  black  and  charred.  Then  the  eating  begins, 
which  is  done  literally  according  to  law,  with  loins  girded,  shoes  on, 
staff  in  hand,  and  in  haste.  In  less  than  ten  minutes,  almost  evejy 
vestige  of  the  meat  is  consumed  ;  the  women  and  children  being  sup- 
plied in  the  tents.  The  remnants  are  carefully  gathered  and  thrown 
into  the  fire,  and  "  nothing  remaineth  until  morning."  It  is  said  that 
large  numbers  of  natives  gather  on  Mount  Gerizim  to  witness  the  pass- 
over  ;  and  even  the  Mohammedans  who  live  in  and  about  Shechem  are 
no  less  curious  than  those  who  happen  to  be  passing  through  on  a  tour 
northward.  When  the  time  of  the  passover  approaches,  occurring  annu- 
ally, those  who  are  in  Jerusalem,  going  over  to  Galilee  or  Syria,  are 
advised  to  arrange  to  start  in  time  to  witness  this  strange  feast.  It  is 
also  an  occasion  of  great  annoyance  to  strangers  on  account  of  the 
incessant  begging  so  commonly  indulged  throughout  the  country.  The 
native  children  and  adults  of  both  sexes  pathetically  implore  every 
stranger  for  "  Backsheesh,"  and  to  say  no  to  them  is  simply  to  say  ask 
me  again,  for  they  will  follow  one,  and  every  step  he  takes  a  dozen 
voices  will  call  out  "backsheesh."  I  became  so  very  accustomed  to 
them,  it  did  not  annoy  me  but  little  to  have  them  follow  me.  It  will  not 
do  to  give  one  of  them  anything,  unless  you  have  concluded  to  give  a 
dozen  or  more  something,  for  they  will  not  allow  one  a  moment's  rest 
until  they  all  fare  alike.  It  seems  to  be  the  first  word  the  Arab  chil- 
dren learn  to  speak,  for  surely  it  is  the  first  word  in  Arabic  the 
stranger  learns,  and  that  he  learns  too  well. 


PART  X. 

SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 

The  Road  from  Shechem  to  Samaria,  or  Sebastiyeh — The  Pool  of  Samaria 
— Kings  of  Israel — Change  of  Dynasties — -Jehu's  Reigu  —  Temple  of 
Baal — The  Syrian  Invasion— Jehu  Anointed — Death  of  Joram — Death  of 
Jezebel — Reign  of  Jeroboam — Reign  of  Shallum — Pul,  King  of  Assyria — 
Attack  Upon  Israel—  Shalmaneser  Invades  Samaria — Description  of  Ancient 
Sites — The  Situation  and  Environment  of  Dothan^-Plain  of  Esdrselon — 
Mount  Gilboa — Cities  of  Philistia — The  Site  of  Ancient  Jezreel — Naboth's 
Vineyard — Ancient  Nain — Historical  Associations — Visit  to  Shunem. 

THE  ROAD  FROM  SHECHEM  TO  SAMARIA. 

LEAVING  Shechem,  the  present  Nablous,  for  Sebastiyeh,  the  site  of 
ancient  Samaria,  the  direction  for  about  one  mile  is  southward 
along  the  Joppa  highway,  which  is  very  pleasant  to  travel,  and  the 
traveler  has  time  to  prepare  for  the  journey  before  the  rough  road  is  en- 
countered. The  road  is  well  paved  and  kept  in  good  condition  the  whole 
way  from  Nablous  to  Joppa,  but  only  a  short  distance  of  it  is  enjoyed 
by  those  going  over  to  Samaria.  Just  as  soon  as  Shechem  is  left  the 
road  winds  down  into  the  valley,  through  a  succession  of  orchards  of 
fig,  apricot,  apple,  pomegranate  and  olive  trees.  On  the  hills  are  sev- 
eral villages,  one  after  another,  so  that  the  country  is  aglow  with  life 
and  prosperity.  After  the  distance  of  a  mile  is  traveled  the  tourist 
leaves  the  pleasant  carriage-road  and  sets  his  face  westward.  The  road 
to  Sebastiyeh  is  not  a  difficult  one  to  travel ;  indeed,  it  is  very  good 
when  compared  to  the  ancient  highway,  but  the  change  is  so  very 
great  between  it  and  the  one  leading  to  Joppa,  one  feels  it  keenly ;  and 
were  it  not  for  the  many  attractions  along  the  way,  the  change  would 
be  deeply  lamented.  But  the  natural  scenery  along  the  route  is  so 
charming  one  has  no  time  to  think  of  the  roughness  of  the  path  he  is 
traveling  ;  especially  are  the  scenes  delightful  as  viewed  from  the  top 
of  a  high  mountain.  Here  the  whole  west  opens  to  view  like  a  vast 
map,  and  the  Mediterranean  appears  as  though  it  were  only  five  or  six 
hours'  ride  westward,  but  I  was  informed  it  would  require  two  days' 
constant  travel  on  a  horse  to  reach  the  nearest  point.  It  is  believed 
18  273 


274  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

that  some  of  the  many  villages  dotting  the  high  mountains  have  been 
there  ever  since  the  time  the  Canaanites  had  possession  of  the  country, 
and  others  were  inhabited  by  the  Israelites,  afterwards  by  the  Samaritans ; 
yet  many  of  the  houses  seem  to  be  as  firm  as  they  were  the  day  of 
their  completion.  The  country  round-about  is  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful in  the  whole  land.  I  frequently  found  myself  standing  still  in 
the  road  looking  over  the  beautiful  landscape,  the  lovely  hills,  valleys 
and  plains  filled  with  wheat,  barley,  rye  and  other  products.  On 
reaching  the  valley  from  the  high  mountain,  on  which  such  a  fine 
prospect  is  obtained,  a  spring  of  good  water  is  seen,  and  close  to  it  are 
ruins  of  an  ancient  building.  The  spring  is  supposed  to  be  the  Pool 
of  Samaria,  in  which  the  blood-stained  wheels  of  Ahab's  chariot  were 
washed  when  he  received  his  deadly  wound  in  battle.  After  crossing 
this  memorable  pool  a  short,  but  very  steep,  hill  is  ascended,  on  which 
was  located  Samaria,  the  ancient  capital  of  Israel,  and  one  of  the 
most  historic  places  in  the  northern  kingdom.  Here  is  a  site  of  a  once 
powerful  and  proud  city,  in  which  many  events  took  place  that  the 
Bible  speaks  of,  which  caused  the  Lord  to  withhold  His  hand  of  pro- 
tection from  them  ;  and  "  the  holy  men  of  old  "  wrote  many  lament- 
able prophecies  concerning  it. 

Not  long  after  the  ten  tribes  had  established  their  new  kingdom, 
Samaria  became  the  seat  of  power.  The  Lord  sent  to  this  place  many 
warnings  of  her  fate  which  would  surely  come,  if  she  did  not  repent. 
Prophets  came  with  plain  and  painfully  sad  messages,  to  urge  the 
people  to  observe  the  commands  of  the  Lord.  She  was  visited  by 
famine  and  great  loss  of  life,  to  warn  her  of  the  inevitable  judgment 
that  would  bring  her  to  naught.  The  city  was  situated  upon  a  high 
eminence,  a  little  lower  than  the  surrounding  mountains  ;  its  elevation, 
surroundings  and  other  conveniences  made  it  more  desirable  than 
Shechem.  It  would  not  be  a  hard  thing  for  any  one  who  had  the 
choice  of  one  of  the  two  places,  Samaria  or  Shechem,  to  see  the  former 
is  far  more  desirable.  When  Omri  procured  this  tract  of  land,  he  saw 
that  it  was  suited  in  every  way  (at  that  time)  for  his  capital ;  so,  the 
place  chosen  for  the  erection  of  the  city,  is  an  elevation  in  the  centre 
of  a  basin  nearly  five  miles  in  diameter,  and  almost  surrounded  by 
lofty  mountains  whose  summits  form  a  natural  fortress.  Such  a  situa- 
tion would  at  once  attract  the  attention  of  a  jjolitical  chieftain  far 
more  than  a  city  located  as  is  Shechem  in  a  valley  between  two  lofty 
mountains,  where  an  invading  foe  could  pounce  down  ujion  them,  no 
matter  how  strongly  their  walls  were  built.  But,  although  there  seems 
to  have  been  great  precautions  taken  in  the  selection  of  a  site  for  the 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN.  275 

capital,  there  were  some  things  connected  with  its  situation  tliat  made 
it  unsafe  when  confronted  by  a  powerful  enemy.  One  of  the  objec- 
tionable features  of  its  situation  was,  its  isolation  from  any  of  the 
stronghold  cities  in  the  kingdom  ;  and  such  a  condition  in  olden  times 
would  naturally  make  it  the  object  of  attraction  to  those  powers  who 
were  unfriendly  to  Israel.  Thei'efore,  it  was  liable  to  be  completely 
hemmed  in  by  foreign  foes,  which  was  one  of  the  principal  battle-plans 
in  ancient  times.  It  is  well  known  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria  were 
several  times  invaded  and  greatly  embarrassed  by  the  presence  of 
powerful  enemies  who  came  up  against  their  capital,  and  shut  them 
within  the  gates  causing  great,  suffering  among  both  men  and  beasts  ; 
especially  was  this  the  case,  when  the  city  was  besieged  by  Benhadad, 
King  of  Syria.  The  hill  on  which  the  city  was  built  seems  to  derive 
its  name  from  Shemer,  from  whom  King  Omri  purchased  it.  This  is  an 
instance  that  shows  how  a  small  matter  can  immortalize  a  person's 
name,  and  will  serve  as  a  stimulant  for  those  who  are  seeking  distinc- 
tion, to  "sow  beside  all  waters."  If  Omri,  King  of  Israel,  bad  not 
bought  the  ground  from  Shemer,  it  is  likely  his  name  would  never 
have  been  mentioned  in  sacred  history  or  any  other.  It  is  not  the 
man  at  all  times  who  performs  the  giant  work,  who  wins  an  imperish- 
able name;  it  often  occurs  that  men  do  things,  who  only  have  in  view 
something  of  a  temporary  character,  Avithout  having  the  slightest  idea 
of  extraordinary  results  which  will  follow.  The  author's  name  has 
been  kept  alive  for  a  hundred  generations ;  such  persons  are  known  to 
almost  every  one  in  the  civilized  world  (1  Kings  xvi.  24). 

CHANGE  OF  DYNASTIES. 

The  kings  of  Israel  may  be  regarded  as  a  succession  of  dynasties  ; 
the  fii'st  began  with  Jeroboam  and  ended  with  his  son  Nadab.  The 
former  died  from  natural  causes  after  a  reign  of  about  twenty-two 
years,  having  won  great  distinction  in  infamy  and  shame.  The  latter 
had  but  a  short  reign  of  two  years,  and  was  assassinated.  He  followed 
the  path  of  his  father  in  wickedness,  and  the  Lord  cut  off  the  house  of 
Jeroboam  forever.  With  the  death  of  Nadab  came  the  end  of  the  first 
dynasty ;  and  from  that  moment  an  endless  succession  of  disgraceful 
hostilities  began  in  Israel,  which  at  length  blotted  the  kingdom  from 
existence.  Men  of  various  grades  of  position  began  to  fix  their  eye 
upon  the  sceptre,  and  resorted  to  every  possible  intrigue  to  become  the 
rulers  of  the  kingdom  ;  therefore,  the  chief  office  did  not  remain  in  one 
household  but  a  short  time  before  it  was  transferred  to  another.    Jehu's 


276  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

family  governed  the  kingdom  for  about  four  generations,  which  was 
longer  than  any  other  dynasty  of  Israel. 

When  the  capital  was  removed  from  Shechem  to  Tirzah,  which  be- 
came the  seat  of  power  for  fifty  years,  Omri  then  removed  it  to  Sama- 
ria, where  it  continued  for  nearly  two  hundred  years  ;  but  when  Ahab, 
the  son  of  the  latter,  was  installed  king,  a  strong  effort  was  made  to 
have  the  capital  transferred  from  Samaria  to  Jezreel.  a  town  beauti- 
fully situated  on  a  small  ridge  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  about  twenty 
miles  north  of  the  capital.  The  feeling  of  the  people  to  have  the  capi- 
tal established  there  may  have  been  stimulated  on  the  grounds  of  its 
being  the  home  of  Jezebel,  and  the  place  where  the  worship  of  Ashta- 
roth  was  permanently  established.  But  it  was  not  changed  from  Sa- 
maria, although  Jezreel  was  in  some  respects  looked  upon  as  such.  At 
Samaria  a  temple  was  erected  to  Baal,  in  which  several  hundred  priests 
officiated,  and  at  its  shrines  thousands  poured  forth  adoring  strains  of 
devotion.  This  was  a  fearful  period  ;  the  people  had  become  steeped 
in  idolatry  and  swallowed  up  in  iniquity ;  therefore,  God  sent  several 
prophets  to  them,  who,  in  unmistakable  terms,  made  known  the  fact 
that  their  sins  would  be  visited  with  severe  chastisements  from  the 
Lord. 

The  great  founder  of  the  capital  at  Samaria  was  buried  there.  It 
may  have  been  by  Omri's  request,  or,  that  his  friends  wished  to  lay 
their  dead  kings  to  rest  at  the  capital  just  as  the  people  of  Judah  did 
theirs.  Ahab,  seventh  king  of  the  northern  kingdom,  married  Jezebel, 
the  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  king  of  Phoenicia  ;  she  exerted  a  wonderful 
influence  over  her  husband  (1  Kings  xiv.  17-18  :  xviii.  46),  who  seems 
to  have  been  completely  controlled  by  her.  Jezebel  insisted  that  the 
worship  of  Baal  should  be  adopted  in  Israel.  Ahab  had,  in  compli- 
ance Avith  this  wish,  proceeded  to  build  a  temple  to  Baal  on  the  hill  of 
Samaria.  The  eminence  on  which  the  temple  stood  was  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  commanding  hills  about  the  city  enclosure.  A  few 
of  the  colossal  pillars  are  yet  standing  just  above  the  ground,  and 
others  are  completely  hidden  from  view. 

Notwithstanding  the  gross  wackedness  indulged  in  by  his  predeces- 
sors, Ahab  was  the  most  depraved  and  daring.  He  did  more  evil  in 
the  sight  of  the  Lord  than  all  the  kings  of  Israel.  The  Temple  was 
destroyed  by  Jehu,  an  account  of  which  will  be  seen  on  another  page. 
The  Syrians,  who  were  potent  enemies  of  Israel,  did  everything 
they  could  to  vex  them ;  they  continuously  assaulted  the  people,  al- 
though one  of  the  most  striking  evidences  of  the  Lord's  care  for  that 
people  had  been  seen  in  the  case  of  Elisha,  who  captured  a  Avhole  army 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN.  277 

of  Syrians  and  led  them  to  Samaria.  The  distress  brought  to  Samaria 
by  the  Syrians  is  more  than  can  be  adequately  described  by  the  most 
gifted  tongue  or  the  most  graphic  pen  (1  Kings  xxi.  17-20:  2  Kings 
vi.  8-23). 

When  the  alarming  crisis  came,  caused  by  this  determined  foe, 
who  had  besieged  the  city,  and  hemmed  the  people  in  for  a  long  time 
there  was  a  deep  g'oom  haunting  every  household,  from  the  king  to 
the  most  humble  inhabitant.  Benhadad's  army  was  stationed  com- 
pletely around  the  city,  so  as  to  prohibit  any  one  from  escaping,  sup- 
posing they  could  by  that  method  starve  the  people,  or  compel  them 
to  open  the  massive  gates,  which  were  too  strong  for  the  besiegers  to 
break  down,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  miraculous  interposition  of  the 
Lord,  all  the  dwellers  of  Samaria  would  have  perished.  Their  food 
supplies  began  to  diminish  more  and  more  as  the  days  passed,  until 
they  were  about  exhausted,  so  that  a  very  sore  and  distressing  famine 
was  raging,  and  the  people  were  dying  like  sheep,  when  a  contagious 
disease  comes  among  them.  Mothers,  whose  love  for  their  children 
was  as  pure  as  the  morning  air,  consented  to  put  some  of  their  infants 
to  death  and  cook  them  for  table  use,  that  the  others  might  live  a  few 
days  longer.  Such  was  the  rage  of  the  death-dealing  calamity  that 
the  king  became  insane  with  auger,  trouble  and  fear.  He  put  on 
sackcloth  and  walked  upon  the  walls,  swearing  vengeance  against 
Elisha  the  prophet,  who  was  living  there  at  the  time,  and  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  sever  his  head  from  his  body,  following  close  behind  the  man 
himself  to  see  that  the  deadly  work  was  performed.  The  prophet 
had  delivered  an  encouraging  prophecy,  ^vhich  the  king  thought  would 
not  come  to  pass,  because  the  condition  of  the  people  was  growing 
worse  day  after  day.  "When  the  man  sent  on  the  errand  of  death 
arrived  at  the  humble  dwelling  of  Elisha,  the  king  was  just  behind 
him,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  one  of  his  captains.  The  man  of  God  was 
not  alarmed  when  the  messenger  came  to  him,  but  calmly  waited  until 
the  king  came.  Then  Elisha  delivered  a  wonderful  prophecy  as  to 
the  abundance  of  food  at  the  disposal  of  the  king  the  next  day.  But 
the  faithlessness  of  the  captain  caused  him  to  flatly  deny  the  words  of 
the  man  of  God.  For  this  cause  a  prophecy  was  pronounced  against 
him,  which  was  fulfilled  to  the  letter..  Elisha  declared  to  them  that 
a  blessed  change  was  at  hand,  when  each  one  in  the  city  would  have 
abundance,  saying :  "  To-morrow,  about  this  time,  shall  a  measure  of 
fine  flour  be  sold  for  a  shekel,  and  two  measures  of  barley  for  a  shekel 
in  the  gate  of  Samaria."  The  captain  on  whose  arm  the  king  leaned 
said,  ■'  Behold,  if  the  Lord  should  make  windows  in  heaven  might 


278  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

this  thing  be."  Elisha  answered  him,  saying,  "  Behold,  thou  shalt 
see  it  with  thine  eyes,  but  thou  shalt  not  eat  thereof."  Just  as  Avas 
predicted,  the  thing  happened.  The  Syrians  were  panic-stricken  by  a 
miraculous  event.  The  king  of  Syria,  having  heard  a  great  noise,  as 
if  a  strong  army  was  coming  against  him,  and  supposing  the  king  of 
Israel  had  formed  an  alliance  with  other  kings,  or  had  hired  them  to 
assist  him.  caused  his  whole  army  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  their 
camp,  leaving  everything  behind  them.  It  was  an  anxious  time  with 
the  king  of  Samaria  and  his  starving  people,  who  had  heard  what 
the  prophet  had  said.  Some  of  them  were  no  doubt  like  the  captain, 
did  not  credit  what  Mas  predicted,  while  others  at  least  believed  it  to 
the  extent  that  they  were  hopeful  it  might  be  so.  It  is  certain  king 
Jorani  had  faith  in  the  statement  of  Elisha,  for  he  had  spared  his  life, 
awaiting  the  results  of  the  follow^ng  day.  It  so  happened  there  were 
four  lepers  sitting  at  the  entrance  gate  in  a  starving  condition,  who 
concluded  to  go  to  the  Syrian  camp  to  beg  something  to  eat;  "for," 
said  they,  "  if  we  remain  in  this  state  we  will  die,"  and  they  could  suffer 
no  more  than  death  if  they  went  to  the  enemy's  camp.  So  they  went, 
and,  to  their  surprise,  found  the  camp  vacated,  but  all  the  abundant 
supplies  left  there.  This  was  reported  to  the  king,  and  everything 
Elisha  had  said  came  to  pass  just  as  Avas  predicted.  The  captain  who 
doubted  Elisha  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  gate,  and  the  rush  of  the 
nearly  starved  people  trampled  him  to  death.  Truly  he  saw  it  with 
his  eyes,  but  did  not  taste  it.  Seeing  how  triumphantly  the  Lord  had 
delivered  them  from  their  relentless  foes  and  from  the  very  jaws  of 
death,  it  would  seem  that  the  king  and  all  his  subjects  throughout  the 
kingdom  would  have  immediately  abandoned  every  shadow  of  idolatry 
and  turned  themselves  in  fervent  devotion  to  the  God  of  their  fathers, 
but  they  ate,  drank,  and  filled  themselves  with  the  spoils  and  returned 
to  their  idols. 

The  intrigues  of  Jehu  add  to  the  history  of  Samaria  a  page  of 
infamy  of  the  basest  character.  This  young  man  was  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  army  of  Israel,  and  about  this  time  a  fierce  conflict  was 
going  on  between  Syria  and  Israel,  as  had  been  during  the  whole  of 
Elisha's  prophetic  life  (2  Kings  vi. ;  vii. ).  In  the  earlier  days  of  the 
Syrians,  they  were  not  regarded  ^s  an  important  people,  and  were  not 
dreaded  by  the  northern  kingdom  ;  but  by  reason  of  the  consolidation 
of  the  various  independent  states  they  suddenly  grew  rapidly  and 
became  a  powerful  nation,  and  because  of  their  bravery  had  gained  a 
wide-spread  reputation  as  shrewd  warriors.  Israel,  seeing  how  warlike 
they  had  become,  feared  them ;  and  had  there  not  been  a  true  prophet 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND   MODERN.  279 

among  them,  their  condition  would  have  been  hopeless,  for  they  were 
the  most  timid  people  in  the  world  when  left  to  themselves.  It  is  known 
to  be  a  fact,  that  every  victory  Israel  won  from  the  time  they  left 
Egypt  until  taken  into  captivity,  was  given  them  immediately  from 
God ;  and  when  they  marshalled  themselves  against  their  foes,  if  God 
did  not  interpose  for  them  in  some  wonderful  way,  they  invariably  lost 
the  battle.  Therefore,  when  Israel  knew  their  northern  neighbors  had 
gained  power  so  rapidly,  they  became  alarmed  when  compelled  to  con- 
front them  in  war.  The  Syrians,  feeling  they  were  competent  to  sub- 
ordinate Israel,  began  to  impose  upon  them  by  taking  portions  of 
their  territory,  little  by  little.  The  intention  of  the  Syrian  monarch 
to  reduce  Israel  to  a  subordinate  kingdom  became  so  evident,  that  it 
was  found  expedient  for  the  latter,  if  they  would  preserve  their  safety, 
to  contend  for  their  rights,  and  even  unite  their  forces  against  this 
common  enemy,  as  they  did  in  the  time  of  Ahab  and  Jehoshaphat. 
These  two  kingdoms,  which  were  so  strongly  opposed  to  each  other  on 
account  of  the  revolt,  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  become  friendly, 
so  that  their  united  powers  might  be  exerted  against  the  Syrians.  Had 
it  not  been  for  the  continued  interference  of  this  new  kingdom  in  the 
far  north,  the  people  of  Israel  and  Judah  would  have  remained 
unfriendly.  The  Syrians  were  encroaching  upon  the  dominion  of 
Israel ;  they  had  possessed  Ramoth-Gilead,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Jor- 
dan, in  the  time  of  Ahab,  by  the  walls  of  which  he  received  his  death- 
wound  ;  and  it  remained  in  their  hands  until  after  his  death.  When 
the  furor  created  on  account  of  the  murder  of  Benhadad,  king  of 
Syria,  by  Hazael.  an  officer  in  his  court,  caused  the  Syrian  army  to 
abandon  Ramoth-Gilead  for  a  time,  and  it  was  occupied  by  Jehu,  the  gen- 
eral-in-chief  of  Israel,  who'  was  known  to  be  a  very  brave  man  and  an 
expert  in  horsemanship.  At  this  time  Joram,  Ahab's  son  and  successor, 
Avas  king  of  Israel,  and  was  at  Jezreel,  very  ill  from  the  effects  of  a 
wound  he  had  received  at  the  same  place  his  father  had  been  mortally 
wounded;  and  Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah  and  nephew  of  Joram,  had 
come  over  from  Jerusalem  to  pay  him  a  visit. 

These  two  raonarchs  were  in  conversation  in  the  summer  palace  at 
Jezreel,  and  the  army  was  in  charge  of  Jehu  at  Ramoth-Gilead.  Just 
at  this  time,  Elisha  sent  a  young  man  over  the  Jordan  to  anoint  Jehu 
to  be  king  of  Israel.  When  the  messenger  arrived  and  informed  him 
of  his  mission,  he  received  it  with  great  composure,  not  wishing  to 
disclose  the  matter  until  his  plans  were  fully  matured  ;  but  his  com- 
panions were  apprised  of  the  secret,  and  hailed  him  with  shouts  of 
praise  as  their  future  king.     Then,  without  delay,  the  young  prince 


280  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

entered  his  chariot,  escorted  by  some  of  his  close  friends,  and  made  all 
possible  speed  for  Jezreel,  where  Joram,  the  wounded  king,  and 
Ahaziah,  his  nephew  and  king  of  Judah,  were.  When  Jehu  was  seen 
from  afar,  his  coming  had  a  suspicious  bearing,  although  he  was  not 
recognized  from  the  distance,  he  was  at  first  seen  about  six  miles 
off.  There  was  a  watch-tower  in  Jezreel,  in  which  a  man  was  stationed 
to  keep  a  close  lookout  and  give  notice  when  he  saw  anything  worthy 
of  attention  approaching.  These  towers  were  thought  to  be  indispen- 
sable, in  those  days,  in  all  the  strongholds  or  important  places  in  Pales- 
tine and  Syria,  and  many  are  still  in  use.  The  watchman  was  stead- 
fastly looking  in  every  direction  of  the  approach  to  Jezreel  ;  and  as 
he  turned  his  eyes  down  the  road  that  is  between  little  Hermon  and 
Mt.  Gilboa  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  he  saw  a  rapidly-advancing 
chariot  accompanied  by  an  escort,  coming  with  great  speed,  and  gave 
notice  to  Joram  of  the  approach  of  some  one  whom  he  did  not  recog- 
nize. Then  the  king  ordered  that  a  messenger  should  meet  the  com- 
pany and  ascertain  who  was  coming,  and  whether  they  were  on  a  visit 
of  peace  or  war.  He  made  haste  to  execute  the  command,  but  did 
not  return ;  for,  when  he  drew  near  to  Jehu,  and  asked  if  his  coming 
to  Jezreel  was  for  peace,  he  answered,  "  What  hast  thou  to  do  with 
peace?  Turn  thee  behind  me."  The  watchman  noticed  this  strauge  pro- 
cedure, and  informed  the  king  that  "  the  messenger  cometh  to  them, 
but  cometh  not  out  again."  Another  was  dispatched  with  the  same 
message,  and  was  treated  as  the  first  one.  Then  the  king  became 
alarmed,  for  he  was  apprehensive  that  a  foe  was  advancing  with 
treachery  in  his  heart.  By  this  time  Jehu  had  reached  a  point  in  the 
road  where  the  watchman  partially  recognized  him  by  the  way  he 
drove ;  for  the  general  was  well  known  as  a  fast  driver.  He  then 
informed  the  king,  it  must  be  "Jehu,  the  son  of  Nimshi,  for  he  drives 
furiously."  On  his  approach  to  Jezreel,  Joram  arose  from  his  bed, 
mounted  his  chariot,  having  Ahaziah  by  his  side,  and  went  with  haste 
to  meet  him.  When  he  approached  within  speaking  distance,  he 
cried  out,  "  Is  it  peace  Jehu  ? "  He  answered,  "  What  peace  ?  "  adding 
that  the  conduct  of  Jezebel,  the  mother  of  Joram,  was  disreputable  and 
unbearable;  for  she  was  leading  a  life  of  lewdness  and  indulging  in 
witchcraft.  The  king  became  alarmed,  seeing  Jehu  was  about  to  bring 
trouble,  turned  immediately  and  fled,  saying,  "  There  is  treachery,  O 
Ahaziah."  But  without  further  warning,  Jehu  drew  his  bow  with  all  his 
strength,  and  sent  a  dart  of  death  into  the  wounded  body  of  Joram, 
which  resulted  in  his  speedy  demise.  It  happened  just  as  he  was  passing 
through  Naboth's  vineyard,  and  his  body  was  thrown  in  the  same  plot  of 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT  AND   MODERN.  281 

ground  his  father  so  unjustly  took  possession  of,  to  satisfy  a  covetous 
ambition.  Ahaziah  fled,  but  was  pursued  and  slain.  In  the  mean- 
time, Jehu  went  with  haste  to  Jezreel ;  Jezebel,  being  old  and  feeble, 
endeavored  to  hide  her  age  and  feebleness  by  artificial  means,  but  was 
not  spared  ;  for  Jehu  caused  her  to  be  thrown  from  the  window  out 
of  which  she  was  looking,  and  the  hungry  dogs  devoured  her  flesh, 
just  as  the  prophet  had  predicted.  When  Jehu  understood  how  com- 
pletely the  dogs  had  done  their  work,  he  said,  "  This  is  the  word  of  the 
Lord  which  He  spake  by  His  servant  Elijah,  the  prophet,  saying,  'In 
the  portion  of  Jezreel  shall  the  dogs  eat  the  flesh  of  Jezebel.' " 

The  new  monarch  proceeded  to  destroy  the  household  of  Ahab. 
His  next  command  was,  that  the  seventy  sons  of  Ahab  should  be  put 
to  death  ;  all  of  whom  had  hoped  to  hold  the  sceptre  of  power  at  some 
time  in  the  future.  Thus  it  is  seen,  the  very  beginning  of  Jehu's  reign 
was  a  scene  of  murder  and  tyranny,  which  continued  until  he  had 
destroyed  all  those  connected  with  Ahab's  family  ;  even  the  house  of 
Ahaziah  did  not  escape  his  wrath.  The  house  of  Ahab  was  not  per- 
mitted to  control  the  kingdom,  because  it  would  follow  the  evil  exam- 
ple of  their  father,  who  was  one  of  the  most  wicked  men  of  his  day. 
Not  one  member  of  the  house  of  Ahab,  of  the  large  number  it  was  com- 
posed, escaped  the  sword  of  Jehu.  He  proceeded  immediately  with  all 
possible  haste  to  Samaria,  after  putting  the  sons  of  Ahab  to  death  who 
lived  in  Jezreel,  and  conceived  a  scheme  which  succeeded  in  accom- 
plishing the  destruction  of  the  remaining  members  of  that  household ; 
and  when  he  had  done  this  fully  and  completely,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion toward  the  utter  demolition  of  the  images  of  Baal,  and  imme- 
diately put  an  end  to  that  famous  worship  that  had  been  so  enthusiasti- 
cally conducted  at  the  renowned  capital  of  Israel  and  other  parts  of 
the  kingdom.  Jehu's  method  was  a  cunning  one,  which  gave  him  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of  all  against  whom  he  had  plotted. 
At  the  same  time  he  pretended  to  the  officials  he  had  great  zeal  for 
the  worship  of  Baal,  and  commanded  that  those  who  were  of  that  faith, 
both  priests  and  people,  should  meet  at  the  temple  of  that  deity  at  a 
certain  time,  for  special  worship ;  to  which  call,  all  the  interested 
people  responded  with  great  pleasure,  expecting  to  enjoy  a  season  of 
extraordinary  pleasure,  so  that  the  temple  was  crowded  with  Baalites. 
Jehu,  having  pre-arranged  all  his  deep-laid  plans,  so  as  to  carry  into 
effect  his  murderous  purpose,  ordered  that  every  one  should  be  slain, 
which  was  alnjost  instantly  done  Not  one  of  the  followers  of  Baal 
remained  alive.  Then  the  images  of  the  gods  were  brought  out  and 
broken  ;  the  temple  was  demolished,  and  its  place  was  devoted  to  pur- 


282  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

poses  highly  questionable.  There  would  seem,  from  a  casual  observa- 
tion of  Jehu's  distaste  for  the  Baal  worship,  to  be  a  disposition  in  him 
to  bring  about  a  creditable  religious  change  in  his  kingdom  ;  but  his 
idea  of  true  reformation  was  not  half  complete ;  for,  when  he  destroyed 
one  form  of  idolatry,  he  established  another.  The  old  custom  of  wor- 
ship ordained  by  Jeroboam,  which  had  sunk  into  insignificance,  w-as 
revived,  and  again  took  its  original  station  as  the  religion  of  the  king- 
dom, so  that  the  people  were  no  freer  from  idol  worship  than  they  were 
before  the  ambitious  and  deadly  Jehu  destroyed  the  Baal  form. 

There  w^as  a  foul  and  deadly  purpose  hidden  in  the  heart  of  Jehu 
when  he  caused  all  the  Baal-worshipers  throughout  his  kingdom  to 
be  put  to  death  under  the  pretense  of  reorganizing  the  true  worship  of 
Jehovah.  His  intensely  proud  heart  seems  to  have  been  filled  to 
an  overflow  with  an  insatiable  lust  for  his  own  aggrandizement,  so 
that  everything  like  lasting  preference,  devotion  and  zeal,  relative  to 
the  true  religion,  could  not  obtain,  although  he  is  regarded  as  an  excep- 
tion to  those  who  succeeded  him.  Every  one  of  his  successors  culti- 
vated a  ravenous  passion  for  the  idol-worship  established  by  Jeroboam, 
and  Samaria  was  not  at  any  time  entirely  free  from  the  humiliating 
practice  of  idolatry.  The  law^s  of  the  Lord  were  not  looked  upon  as 
a  standard-guide  of  human  conduct ;  they  trampled  upon  them  as 
unworthy  of  toleration,  and  expelled  them  from  their  thoughts.  Jehu 
had  the  most  favorable  opportunity,  had  he  been  truly  sincere,  to  have 
rooted  out  every  phase  of  idolatry,  and  with  ease  established  the  true 
worship,  for  he  had  from  the  beginning  of  his  control  of  the  kingdom 
everything  under  his  sway.  The  w^hole  dominion  felt  his  masterly 
hand  and  stood  in  great  fear  of  him.  Therefore,  his  was  the  pivot- 
reign,  for  no  monarch  succeeding  him  had  such  a  commanding  control 
of  the  people.  The  destruction  of  the  Baal  worship,  A\'hich  was  done 
at  such  a  tremendous  sacrifice  of  life,  was  in  fact  but  disguised  mockery, 
for  Jehu  had  no  intention  of  reorganizing  the  people  according  to  the 
will  of  Heaven.  The  house,  of  which  he  was  the  acknowledged  head, 
was  the  largest  of  all  the  dynasties  in  Israel,  and  had  the  kingly  con- 
trol for  the  period  of  one  hundred  and  three  years,  Avith  the  following 
members  of  his  house  upon  the  throne,  viz. :  Jehoahaz,  Jehoash,  Jero- 
boam, the  second,  and  Zechariah.  None  of  these  are  known  to  have 
exerted  any  manliness  worthy  of  note,  except  Jeroboam,  who  Avon  sev- 
eral important  victories,  and  did  much  toAvards  advancing  the  pros- 
perity of  his  kingdom  during  the  forty-one  years  of  his  reign,  and  yet 
added  much  to  the  guilt  of  Israel.  The  kingdom,  having  an  ambitious 
man  as  king,  Avhose  heart  Avas  full  of  selfishness  and  death-dealing,  Avas 


SAMAKIA— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN.  283 

still  in  a  state  of  woeful  corruption.  His  thirst  for  blood  did  not  abate 
when  his  destructive  hand  had  wiped  from  existence  the  wickedly- 
licentious  occupant  of  the  throne  and  his  household,  but  his  influence 
was  strongly  exerted  in  Jerusalem  through  Athaliah,  whose  mother 
he  had  slain.  This  woman  united  with  Jehu  in  carrying  out  his  deep- 
laid  plans  to  destroy  the  royal  house  of  Judah.  She  even  caused  all  her 
own  children  to  be  put  to  death  that  she  might  be  permitted  to  remain 
queen.  Only  the  infant,  Joash,  who  had  been  hidden  by  his  aunt  and 
reared  in  absolute  secrecy,  was  left  alive,  for  if  Jehu,  the  blood-thirsty 
monarch,  or  Athaliah,  his  infamous  mother,  had  known  where  he  had 
been  hidden,  they  would  have  secured  him  for  slaughter  by  some  low- 
cunniug  means.  There  was  not  much  interest  attached  to  the  admin- 
istration of  the  house  of  Jehu  in  Samaria  after  his  death,  who  seems 
to  have  left  but  little  bloody  work  for  his  successors  to  perform.  Bethel 
was  again  choseu  as  the  chief  place  for  calf-worship,  and  idolatrous 
priests,  under  the  reign  of  Jeroboam,  the  second,  who  Avas  the  third 
king  from  Jehu,  officiated.  He  seems  to  have  had  a  good  degree  of 
prosperity  during  the  time  of  his  reign.  But  it  is  clearly  evident  that 
Bethel  became  once  more  the  seat  of  great  corruption,  for  the  prophets 
who  watched  Samaria  with  incessant  vigilance  suddenly  turned  them- 
selves towards  Bethel  and  fixed  their  attention  on  the  place  where  the 
people  bowed  with  enthusiastic  devotions  to  the  calf.  These  men  of 
God,  who  had  been  appointed  to  warn  the  people  against  the  bitter 
results  of  idol-worship,  were  almost  constantly  busy  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties,  and  were  just  as  determined  to  do  the  work  of  their  call- 
ing when  their  messsage  was  woeful  as  when  it  was  pleasant.  There 
was  no  period  during  the  time  of  the  prophets  that  one  could  not  be 
found  who  was  ready  for  duty.  (2  Kings  viii.  28-29  ;  ix. ;  x. ;  Amos 
vii.  10-13.) 

Jeroboam  extended  the  border  of  Israel,  and  subdued  Damascus,  the 
capital  of  the  Syrians ;  a  people  whose  continuous  eflTorts  to  capture  Israel 
kept  them  in  constant  dread  of  the  vengeance  of  their  relentless  ire. 
The  last  king  belonging  to  the  house  of  Jehu  was  Zechariah,  who  only 
was  permitted  to  reign  six  months,  when  he  was  ruthlessly  slain  by 
Shallum,  son  of  Jabesh,  an  ambitious  aspirant,  who  after  committing  the 
fiendish  deed  usurped  the  crown.  His  aim  was  accomplished,  but  like 
many  whose  ambition  overrules  their  judgment,  Shallum  had  not  got- 
ten the  sceptre  in  his  hand  before  he  was  in  turn  slain  by  Menahem, 
in  Samaria ;  for  it  was  just  at  the  end  of  one  month's  reign,  when  he 
was  dispatched  to  eternity.  About  this  time  a  new  and  powerful 
nation  rose  into  prominence  on  the  east  beyond  the   Euphrates,  who 


284  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

increased  so  rapidly  in  strength  that  Judah  and  Israel  watched  her  with 
a  suspicious  eye ;  for  there  were  evident  indications  that  a  woeful  crisis 
would  seize  the  two  kingdoms  of  the  Hebrews,  if  this  nation  continued 
to  grow.  These  new  people  were  the  Assyrians,  who  afterwards  proved 
to  be  the  mightiest  foe  the  Israelites  had  known.  An  alarming  signal 
of  their  power  was  developed  by  Pul,  king  of  Assyria,  who  resented 
the  conduct  of  Menahem,  who  caused  the  inhabitants  of  Tiphsah  to 
be  slaughtered  Pul  became  indignant,  and  suddenly  rose  up  Avith  his 
forces  and  descended  upon  Israel  with  vengeance,  carrying  a  large 
number  into  captivity,  but  spared  Samaria  and  the  immediate  districts 
around  it.  Yet,  while  Pul  was  disposed  to  be  gracious  enough  to  save 
the  capital  of  Israel  from  destruction,  he  brought  the  tyrant  Menahem 
under  heavy  obligations  to  the  Assyrian  government,  by  compelling 
him  to  pay  a  tax  amounting  to  a  thousand  talents.  It  is  said  this 
attack  was  made  upon  Israel,  by  the  king  of  Assyria,  through  the 
mountainous  country  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  north  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon,  The  attack  was  so  very  sudden  upon  the  people,  they  were 
not  in  condition  to  defend  themselves.  The  event  was  a  manifestation 
of  the  weakness  of  Israel,  and  the  maiden  test  of  Assyrian  strength. 
This  was  a  warning  to  Israel,  and  should  have  admonished  them  suffi- 
ciently to  awaken  them  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  to  the  God  of  their 
fathers,  who  had  so  frequently  fought  for  them,  and  never  allowed  them 
to  lose  a  battle  while  they  were  under  His  command  The  Assyrians 
continued  to  increase  so  rapidly  that  other  nations  w'ere  beginning  to 
notice  them  and  fear  their  power.  When  Hoshea,  the  last  king  of 
Israel,  was  ruling,  he  attempted  to  sever  his  subordinate  relation  to 
the  Assyrian  empire,  by  forming  an  alliance  with  the  king  of  Egypt ; 
and  no  doubt  would  have  effected  his  plans,  had  not  Shalraaneser  been 
apprised  of  the  plot  in  time  to  prevent  further  negotiations  between  the 
two  monarchs.  So,  an  Ethiopian,  who  was  second  king  of  the  twenty- 
fifth  dynasty,  Avas  the  ruler  over  Egypt  at  the  time  the  proposition  for 
an  alliance  was  offered  by  Hoshea,  king  of  Israel.  It  would  have  been 
a  wonderful  addition  to  the  strength  of  Israel,  had  an  opportunity 
been  given  the  king  of  Egypt  to  help  Hoshea  But  as  soon  as  the 
news  reached  Shalmaneser,  he  at  once  came  up  against  Samaria  with  a 
large  army,  and  besieged  it  for  three  years ;  at  length  the  peojDle 
became  so  greatly  reduced  they  could  hold  out  no  longer,  but  surren- 
dered to  the  powerful  foe,  who  was  determined  to  capture  the  city  (it 
seems),  even  if  they  starved  every  inhabitant  to  death.  The  king  Avas 
captured  also,  put  in  bonds,  and  carried  Avith  the  people  aAvay  into 
captivity.     This  struggle    terminated    the  existence  of  the   northern 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT   AND  MODERN.  285 

kingdom,  which  had  been  prominent  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
under  the  most  variable  circumstances  of  any  kingdom  known  in  the 
world,  considering  the  length  of  time  it  existed. 

The  people,  whose  hearts  were  brought  low  because  of  their  bond- 
age, were  dispersed  throughout  the  Assyrian  empire,  and  many  en- 
dured great  afflictions  under  their  new  rulers;  but  the  Lord  allowed 
them  to  remain  there  until  the  expiration  of  seventy  years.  There 
were  no  more  attractions  in  the  city  of  Samaria  for  a  long  time;  her 
doom  had  come ;  her  rich  treasures  had  been  carried  away,  and  her 
glory  was  in  the  dust.  This  was  about  the  year  seven  hundred  and 
twenty,  before  the  Christian  era,  when  this  final  calamity  visited  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  which  completely  demolished  it.  It  is  thought  by 
several  eminent  scholars,  that  the  new-comers,  who  were  transported  to 
take  charge  of  the  country,  occupied  the  city  of  Samaria  as  their  head- 
quarters for  a  while,  then  went  down  to  Shechem  and  made  it  their 
permanent  and  chief  city.  It  is  plain  to  be  seen,  that  the  Israelites, 
who  revolted  and  established  a  new  kingdom,  began  it  with  a  malicious 
spirit,  and  proved  themselves  unworthy  of  the  protection  of  the  Lord 
almost  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  their  national  independence. 
They  went  from  God  to  the  idol  calf ;  then  to  Baal  ;  then  to  Astarte, 
and  a  number  of  other  images.  After  the  captivity,  which  caused  the 
downfall  of  the  kingdom,  but  little  is  known  of  Samaria  for  several 
centuries. 

The  next  important  development  in  its  history  was  in  the  time  of 
Herod  the  Great.  It  having  been  given  him  by  Emperor  Augustus, 
the  king  rebuilt  Samaria  and  adorned  it,  changed  its  name,  which  is 
known  to  the  Greeks  as  Sebaste,  but  is  called  by  the  natives  Sebastiyeh. 
It  is  said  that  Herod  left  an  open  area  of  nine  hundred  feet  in  the 
centre  of  the  city,  surrounded  by  some  of  the  most  costly  buildings ; 
upon  this  area  he  built  a  most  magnificent  temple  to  the  emperor.  It 
is  supposed  to  have  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  hill,  which  is  an  eminent 
site,  and  must  have  been  highly  attractive  to  those  approaching  the 
city  from  the  east  or  west.  It  is  also  believed,  from  a  number  of  de- 
velopments, that  Ahab  built  his  temple  to  Baal  upon  this  same  site. 
There  are  many  remnants  of  the  long  colonnade  which  winds  around 
the  hill,  several  of  them  remaining  where  they  were  placed  by  the 
workmen.  They  extend  as  far  as  the  village  in  the  western  section. 
Sixty  columns  are  yet  standing  ;  several  have  been  broken,  and  others 
are  full  of  scars,  many  of  which  have  been  caused  by  relic-seekers  ;  but 
time's  hand  has  crumbled  them  more  than  the  hand  of  man.  It  is  the 
general  opinion  that  the  colonnade  was  erected  to  beautify  the  great 


286  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

street  of  the  city,  just  as  those  in  other  cities  in  the  East,  especially 
Damascus,  Pahnyra  and  Constantinople.  It  is  thought  that  the  large 
building  which  stood  on  the  corner  of  the  hill  facing  the  north  was  in. 
tended  for  the  celebration  of  the  great  festivals  or  on  other  occasions 
when  jubilees  were  held.  From  what  has  been  stated  concerning  the 
new  city  built  by  Herod  the  Great,  it  may  be  concluded  that  he  did 
not  spare  pains  or  expense  in  making  it  a  stupendous  palace.  But 
Samaria,  the  beautiful,  has  fallen  to  rise  no  more,  for  it  has  become  a 
wreck. 

The  little  village  that  crowns  a  small  portion  of  the  site  of  the  an- 
cient city,  called  Sebastiyeh,  is  composed  of  about  sixty  houses  and 
four  hundred  inhabitants.  It  is  built  upon  an  old  terrace,  about  the 
middle  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  hill,  and  is  almost  entirely  composed 
of  the  old  material  of  the  former  cities.  Many  of  the  carefully  carved 
blocks  of  stone,  which  formed  a  portion  of  the  beauty  of  the  capital  of 
Israel,  and  the  Sebaste  of  Herod's  time,  are  carelessly  laid  in  the  walls 
of  the  present  huts  of  which  the  whole  village  is  composed. 

The  first  attraction  on  entering  Samaria  is  the  church  of  St.  John, 
standing  upon  an  elevation  on  the  east  of  the  village.  Its  entrance- 
door  opens  from  a  court  which  is  a  little  lower  than  the  grade  around 
it.  The  low  door  passed  through  to  enter  the  building  is  said  to  be- 
long to  the  time  of  the  Crusaders  ;  and  it  is  currently  believed  that  it 
stands  over  the  grave  of  John  the  Baptist. 

The  church  had  almost  become  a  ruin  for  a  long  time,  but  efforts 
were  being  made  to  remodel  and  change  it  into  a  Mohammedan 
mosque.  It  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  long  and  seventy  feet  wide, 
having  a  small  dome  over  the  cellar,  under  which  is  the  traditional 
tomb  of  John  the  Baptist,  which  is  reached  by  descending  thirty-one 
stone  steps  into  a  very  dark  and  lonely  chamber.  This  is  partitioned 
from  the  tomb  by  a  thick  wall.  The  graves  of  Elisha  and  Obadiah 
are  traditionally  located  here  also.  Josephus  says :  "  John  was  be- 
headed at  Fort  Machaerus,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,"  but  many  of  the 
foremost  writers  and  scholars  are  of  the  opinion  that  Herod  Antipas 
did  not  select  such  an  out  of-the-way  place  as  that  was  to  hold  a  jubi- 
lant feast.  There  is  a  tradition,  reaching  back  to  the  time  of  Jerome, 
which  says :  "  John  was  beheaded  at  Samaria."  It  is  thought  to  be 
the  more  likely  place,  as  it  corresponds  with  the  vicinity  where  he  per- 
formed his  latter  work,  which  was  only  a  few  miles  east  of  Samaria,  at 
the  head  of  Wady  Far'ah,  wdiich  is  between  ^non  and  Salim.  It  is 
also  supposed  John  was  in  one  of  the  prisons  in  Samaria,  either  the 
one  connected  with  the  palace  or  the  one  common  to  prisoners  in  gen- 


SAMAKIA— ANCIENT   AND   ^MODERN.  287 

eral.  It  is  certain  the  place  of  Jolm's  confinemeut  ^vas  not  far  from 
the  place  where  the  feast  was  held.  Jerome,  who  was  a  man  of  great 
piety  and  candor,  says,  "  John  met  his  death  at  Samaria,"  which  seems 
to  be  the  more  likely  place  from  the  connecting  circumstances.  The 
traditional  tomb  of  John  is  much  older  than  the  building  over  it,  and 
may  be  the  place  where  the  great  prophet  and  forerunner  of  our  Lord 
was  laid  to  rest.  This  being  the  Samaria  of  the  New  Testament  times, 
and  no  doubt  the  city  to  which  Philip  on  his  evangelistic  mission  came 
and  preached  the  gospel,  and  here  preached  Peter  and  John  also. 
When  the  Crusaders  were  in  power,  Samaria  was  their  headquarters 
and  the  seat  of  a  bishopric,  at  which  time  it  had  regained  a  portion  of 
its  former  importance.  It  was  about  noon  when  we  arrived  there  from 
Shechem,  and  on  approaching  the  village  we  turned  to  the  northwest 
to  make  a  tour  of  the  site  of  the  ancient  cities,  and  see  the  remaining 
ruins  that  are  visible.  I  had  for  some  time  been  very  dubious  of  visit- 
ing Samaria,  having  heard  of  so  many  unpleasant  things  as  to  the 
conduct  of  the  natives  toward  strangers.  The  inhabitants  have  the 
reputation  of  being  the  most  vicious  of  all  the  people  in  Palestine, 
and  they  have  on  several  occasions  driven  strangers  from  the  place 
with  stones  and  deadly  instruments.  I  nerved  myself  for  the  journey, 
with  the  purpose  of  making  the  very  best  I  could  of  the  worst  that 
might  come.  According  to  custom,  when  we  drew  near  the  village 
every  one  that  could  came  from  their  humble  dwellings  to  see  who  was 
approaching.  We  made  the  usual  circuit  of  the  whole  place,  and  it  is 
but  just  that  I  should  say  for  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria.  I  did  not  find 
in  all  my  travels  through  the  land  a  more  friendly  and  quiet  people. 
Not  one  of  them  gave  me  an  ill-look  or  a  cross  word.  There  is  a  small 
native  school  kept  in  an  apartment  in  which  several  important  relics 
are  stored,  some  being  images  that  were  worshiped  in  ancient  times. 
Just  as  I  entered  the  room  the  teacher  ordered  the  children  to  rise 
and  make  obeisance  to  me,  and  they  did  it  with  as  much  delight 
seemingly  as  though  I  were  one  of  the  high  officials.  I  thought  they 
would  immediately  take  their  seats,  but  when  it  became  apparent  they 
would  stand  until  I  left  the  room,  I  told  the  teacher,  through  my 
guide,  to  seat  them.  We  remained  some  time  in  Samaria,  visiting  the 
many  scenes  of  remarkable  ruins.  We  rode  around  the  elevated  ter- 
race on  the  west  side  to  the  leper's  gate,  and  took  a  passing  view  of 
the  ruins  of  the  ancient  colonnade,  which  we  followed  to  the  end,  where 
heaps  of  stones  are  promiscuously  piled  up.  Many  more  columns  are 
yet  standing  in  the  line  they  were  placed  in  Herod's  time. 

The  colonnade  begins  on  the  west,  where  there  is  a  large  mass  of 


288  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

ruins,  which  are  supposed  to  have  been  a  triumphal  arch.  It  runs 
about  one  thousand  feet  eastward  in  a  direct  line,  then  turns  a  little 
southward,  following  the  hill  until  the  terminus  is  reached,  which  is  a 
little  to  the  southeast  of  Sebastiyeh.  There  about  sixty  of  the  old 
columns  standing  on  the  west  side,  which  indicate  by  their  irregular 
positions,  the  depth  of  the  ruins  about  them.  Some  of  them  are  several 
feet  above  the  ground,  others  are  not  more  than  a  foot  or  two  above. 
Not  one  of  them  is  as  high  above  the  ground  as  when  first  put  in 
position,  but  several  are  high  enough  to  indicate  their  former  heights, 
and  the  depth  of  the  ruins  about  them  ;  and  there  are  reasons  to 
believe,  from  the  heights  of  some  of  the  mounds  between  many  of  the 
columns,  that  several  of  them  are  completely  covered  up  by  higher 
piles  of  ruins.  There  w^as  a  double  range  of  these  columns,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fifty  feet,  supposing  to  have  extended  about  three  thou- 
sand feet.  The  shafts  are  sixteen  feet  high  and  two  feet  in  diameter. 
These  colonnades  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  centre  of  attraction 
in  the  main  street  of  Samaria ;  but  their  glory  is  departed,  and,  like  a 
man  who  has  descended  from  riches  and  plenty  to  poverty  and  want, 
they  stand  to  tell  all  who  visit  them  what  they  were  in  other  days ; 
stationed  as  they  are  in  a  place  of  solitude,  surrounded  by  great  masses 
of  ruins,  it  cannot  be  conjectured  by  any  one  who  has  not  witnessed  the 
sight,  what  a  strikingly  sad  spectacle  they  present.  Here  stood  clustered 
in  dazzling  splendor,  the  glory  of  Samaria  and  Sebaste  in  the  days  of 
their  prosperity,  when  their  proud  heads  were  lifted  to  the  sky,  and 
their  envied  fame  was  spread  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  but  now  all  lies 
deeply  entombed  in  the  dust ;  for  the  mighty  cities  have  fallen.  Who 
can  look  upon  these  heaps  of  desolation,  under  which  the  crumbling 
remains  of  the  two  great  cities  are  buried,  without  dropping  a  tear  of 
deep  sorrow  because  of  human  weakness?  Who  can  ride  around  the 
hillside  and  in  the  valley  of  this  wrath-smitten  place,  and  look  in  the 
valley  and  on  the  hill  upon  these  broken  columns,  standing  among  the 
wild  vines,  olive  trees  and  green  corn,  looking  like  an  old  dead  trunk 
of  a  once  flourishing  and  fruitful  tree,  or  see  them  surrounded  with 
heaps  of  stones,  which  at  some  age  of  the  distant  past  occupied  their 
place  in  one  of  the  lavishly  embellished  buildings  that  adorned  the 
hill  with  splendor,  without  feeling  most  pungently  the  sacred  words, 
"  Thy  sins  will  find  thee  out ; "  or,  who  can  look  at  the  heaps  of  stones, 
which  have  been  carefully  carved  by  skilled  workmen,  to  be  placed  in 
some  of  the  most  spacious  buildings  crowning  the  hill,  now  serving  as 
the  bases  of  terraces  in  the  corn  and  barley  fields  ;  or,  upon  the  many 
beautifully-hewn  and  costly  stones  strewn  along  the  valley,  as  if  tossed 


SAMARIA— ANCIENT   AND   MODERN.  289 

by  a  mighty  tornado  or  a  tremendous  upheaval,  and  not  see  the  revela- 
tion of  the  handwriting  on  the  wall,  "  God  hath  numbered  thy  days." 
The  prediction  of  the  prophet  Micah,  as  to  the  fate  of  Samaria,  has  a 
standing  testimony  of  its  fulfillment  in  the  piles  of  ruins  from  one  end 
of  its  original  boundary  to  the  other.  "Therefore,  will  I  make  Samaria 
as  an  heap  of  the  field  and  as  the  planting  of  a  vineyard ;  and  I  will 
throw  down  the  stones  thereof  into  the  valley,  and  I  will  discover  the 
foundations  thereof."  I  did  not  see  in  any  other  portion  of  Palestine 
such  a  tremendous  profusion  of  ruins  as  are  prominent  in  Samaria  ; 
and  any  one  passing  through  the  old  ruins,  having  a  knowledge 
of  the  predictions  concerning  it,  could  not  otherwise  conclude  than 
that  every  word  has  been  literally  fulfilled.   (Micah  i.  6.) 

There  are  several  interesting  places  to  visit  while  passing  around 
about  the  ruins,  among  them  the  most  interesting  is  the  site  of  the 
"  Leper's  Gate,"  to  which  the  poor,  starving  men  came  on  the  night  the 
Syrians  abandoned  their  camp,  leaving  everything  and  fleeing  in  wild 
dismay,  suj^posing  a  reinforcement  was  on  the  way  to  capture  them. 
The  site  of  the  "  camp  "  is  supposed  to  be  the  beautiful  little  plain  on 
the  northwest  side ;  certainly,  it  is  the  only  convenient  place  about  the 
city  for  a  camp,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  identical  with  "  The 
Lepers'  Gate,"  and  the  scene  of  the  great  press  of  half-starved  people, 
who  came  out  to  get  food  when  the  captain  was  killed.  The  traditional 
tomb  of  John  the  Baptist  is  also  worthy  of  visiting.  It  is  down  in  a 
dark  crypt,  and  the  person  who  intends  entering  must  brace  himself 
strong  with  courage  or  he  will  not  be  able  to  go  into  it.  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  confess  my  timidity  when  about  to  make  the  trip,  iSot  to 
descend  looked  cowardly,  and  to  do  so  seemed  to  be  a  venture  of  immi- 
nent peril,  and  to  allow  that  opportunity  to  pass  would  be  giving  up  the 
only  chance  I  should  ever  have  to  see  the  place,  where  it  is  said  a 
portion  of  the  mortal  remains  of  one  of  the  most  pious  and  dis- 
tinguished men  of  the  world  was  buried.  I,  therefore,  concluded  to 
go  down  into  it  whatever  might  occur.  The  lights  were  arranged  and 
we  started  down  the  journey  of  thirty-one  steps  to  the  little,  dark 
chamber  at  the  bottom,  where  a  ray  of  sunlight  cannot  enter,  and  per- 
haps has  not  since  the  sainted  dead  was  first  rested  there.  The  keeper 
of  the  sepulchre  went  in  advance,  followed  by  one  of  his  companions  ; 
I  followed  them  and  my  dragoman  came  behind  me.  My  nerves  had 
gotten  to  an  exciting  point,  and  many  unpleasant  ideas  came  unbidden 
to  my  mind.  At  one  time  I  was  about  to  give  up  the  trip  and  inti- 
mated my  purpose  to  the  dragoman  ;  he  insisted  I  should  continue,  so, 
mustering  all  the  courage  possible,  I  started  again,  and  finally  we 
19 


290  THE   LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

reached  the  chamber.  I  was  conducted  to  the  partition  which  divides 
the  tomb  from  the  main  room  and  shown  an  opening  in  the  walL 
Through  this  visitors  look  upon  the  traditional  tomb  of  John.  I  was 
soon  satisfied  with  what  I  had  seen  and  ready  to  return  towards  the 
earth's  surface,  and  came  up  feeling  rather  pleased  with  my  visit. 
There  could  be  a  fine  museum  of  Ancient  Statues  in  Samaria  if  the 
people  knew  how  to  arrange  it  and  could  appreciate  its  value,  for 
hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  such  relics  could  be  found  under  the 
mounds  ;  if  the  people  would  command  enough  industry  to  dig  for  them 
they  might  find  other  valuables  which  would  place  every  inhabitant 
above  the  sills  of  poverty.  But  thej'  are  under  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment, which  seems  to  be  disinterested  in  making  investigations.  One 
unfortunate  thing  about  Samaria  is  there  are  no  Christians  residing  in 
it.  I  feel  safe  in  saying  if  the  present  villagers  were  blessed  with 
native  Christian  neighbors  a  greater  state  of  progress  would  soon  be 
seen,  for  it  is  noticeable  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  in  Palestine  where 
Christians  form  a  part  of  the  inhabitants  there  are  evident  indications 
of  progress,  and  where  they  are  not  found  signs  of  improvement  are 
wanting.  It  is  a  fact,  as  plainly  demonstrated  as  two  and  two  are 
four,  that  Christianity  is  lifting  the  world,  and  is  the  light  of  it  in 
every  sense  pertaining  to  human  elevation.  The  road  from  Samaria 
northward  is,  for  a  few  miles,  "  beautiful  for  situation,"  and  when  the 
high  hill  is  reached  travelers  usually  halt  to  take  their  last  look  at  the 
scenes  just  left  and  the  fine  country  round  about.  Close  to  the  halt- 
ing place  is  a  small  village  called  Neby  Lamin,  or  the  "  Levite 
Prophet '  Near  by  is  a  tomb  supposed  to  be  that  of  Sanballat,  who 
was  a  very  prominent  governor  of  the  district  of  Samaria. 

Proceeding  a  short  distance,  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  is  seen  a  few 
miles  away  ;  and  a  stranger  finds  himself  nearing  one  of  the  most  his- 
torical districts  in  the  world ;  for  it  is  filled  with  memorable  associa- 
tions from  one  end  to  the  other.  To  just  give  an  outline  of  all  the 
events  of  this  plain,  several  volumes  much  larger  than  this  would  be 
required.  About  midway  the  beautiful  valley  leading  to  the  plain, 
just  east  of  a  flat-top  hill  that  stands  out  from  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains, is  an  opening  to  the  northeast.  This  is  Dothan.  It  was  on  this 
rich  plain  that  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  feeding  their  flocks,  when  Joseph 
was  sent  to  see  if  they  were  doing  well.  On  the  hill-sides  are  yet  remain- 
ing several  ancient  pits,  one  of  which  Joseph,  no  doubt,  was  put  in  before 
he  was  sold  to  the  merchants  who  were  going  down  to  Egypt.  It  is 
well  no  one  has  been  able  to  identify  the  pit  of  Joseph's  incarceration, 
or  a  mosque  would  have  been  placed  over  it,  and  every  one  visiting  there 


FROM   SAMARIA   TO  JEZREEL.  291 

would  be  required  to  pay  for  entering.  One  of  the  most  important 
events  connected  with  the  life  of  Elisha  transpired  at  Dothan,  and 
should  have  special  mention  here  (2  Kings  vi.  8-23).  When  the  king  of 
Syria  was  haunting  the  king  of  Israel,  many  cunning  and  deep-laid 
plans  were  arranged  by  him  and  his  council  to  capture  the  kingdom. 
To  accomplish  this  design  he  would  get  information  as  to  the  route 
the  king  of  Israel's  army  would  take,  or  where  they  were  likely  to 
camp,  and  lay  in  ambush  so  as  to  come  out  against  it  suddenly  and 
capture  it ;  but  Elisha  warned  the  king  of  these  cunning  intrigues,  and 
the  Syrians  were  unsuccessful  in  their  plans  that  had  been  so  carefully 
formulated  in  great  secrecy.  The  king  of  Syria  was  puzzled  to  under- 
stand how  his  plans  were  exposed  to  the  king  of  Israel,  unless  some  of 
those  of  his  own  council  were  traitors.  He  therefore  called  a  council 
that  he  might  find  who  was  the  man  so  shamefully  untrue.  It  was 
made  known  to  him  that  his  suspicions  were  misplaced  ;  that  none  of 
his  council  were  false,  but  that  there  was  a  prophet  in  Israel  who  told 
these  things  and  knew  his  most  secret  plans.  Hearing  this  the  king 
of  Syria  became  almost  insanely  excited,  and  sent  out  spies  to  apprehend 
the  prophet.  Poor  fellow,  he  did  not  seem  to  know  that  if  the  prophet 
could  tell  all  his  secret  plans,  he  could  also  know  when  spies  were 
seeking  him  and  could,  if  necessary,  elude  them.  But  Elisha  had 
nothing  to  fear,  and  therefore  made  no  effort  to  flee.  The  spies  soon 
returned  with  the  information  that  the  prophet  was  in  Dothan,  which 
is  about  ten  miles  north  of  Samaria,  a  little  to  the  northeast  of  the 
main  road  to  Jeuin  and  Nazareth.  The  king,  hearing  where  the 
prophet  was,  sent  a  large  army  by  night  to  capture  him  and  bring  him 
to  Damascus.  The  army  obeyed  the  order  ;  and  on  their  arrival  at 
Dothan  concluded  to  wait  there  qaietly  all  night  and  make  the  capture 
in  the  morning.  That  they  might  prohibit  his  escape,  the  soldiers  sur- 
rounded the  mountain  so  as  to  hem  in  the  village  completely.  But, 
without  their  knowledge,  another  army  appeared  on  the  scene. 

The  Lord,  whose  messenger  Elisha  was,  sent  an  army  of  angels 
from  heaven  to  guard  his  interests ;  much  larger  than  the  King  of 
Syria  had  sent  to  capture  him.  When  the  morning  came,  and  the 
servant  of  God  was  ready  for  the  engagement,  he  simply  prayed  that  his 
enemies  might  be  smitten  with  blindness,  and  it  was  instantly  done. 
He  then  led  them  into  the  city  of  Samaria  as  blind  captives.  Surely, 
"  one  can  chase  a  thousand." 

I  took  great  care,  on  our  arrival  at  Dothan,  to  survey  its  situation ; 
and  especially  the  location  of  the  mountains  where  the  Syrians  en- 
camped, awaiting  the   morning  dawn,  that  they  might  execute  their 


292  THE  LAND   OF  PROMISE. 

mission.  The  village  is  nearly  surrounded  by  a  double  range  of  moun- 
tains, the  inner  circle  being  very  near  it,  but  the  outer  one  a  mile  (we 
think)  away.  It  is,  therefore,  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  Syrians 
formed  their  circle  around  the  heights  of  the  inner  or  smaller  range, 
for  it  would  have  required  a  very  large  army  to  have  encircled  the 
outer  and  more  extensive  mountains.  The  small  circle  does  not  con- 
nect on  the  northwest,  the  narrow  space  between  them  forming  a  beau- 
tiful little  plain,  extending  to  the  village.  At  present  there  are  but 
two  or  three  houses,  a  mill,  and  a  shed  or  two  in  Dothan.  It  may  be 
we  passed  the  site  of  Elisba's  house.  (2  Kings  vi.  8-23  ;  Gen.  xxxvii. 
15-28). 

The  next  point  of  importance  north  of  Dothan  is  Jenin,  the  ancient 
Engannim.  It  was  one  of  the  Levitical  cities,  belonging  to  the  tribe 
of  Issachar,  and  stands  on  the  border  terminating  Manasseh.  In  the 
time  of  our  Lord,  Jenin,  also,  was  the  extreme  northern  border  of  the 
province  of  Samaria.  It  is  pleasantly  located  along  the  highway,  and 
is  very  im2:)ortant  because  of  its  abundant  supply  of  water  ;  its  present 
name,  Jenin,  signifies  "  much  water."  It  is  one  of  the  most  convenient 
towns  for  travelers  of  any  in  the  interior  of  Palestine  especially  between 
Samaria  and  Nazareth  and  points  along  the  sea.  Those  not  going  to 
Jezreel,  Shunem,  and  the  north,  can  find  a  road  from  the  vicinity  of 
Jenin  in  any  direction  usually  traveled.  The  main  road  passing  through 
it  is  the  same  ancient  highway  along  which  Ahab  traveled  in  the  days  of 
his  pride  when  passing  to  and  from  Samaria  and  Jezreel,  and  the  identi- 
cal road  that  the  iron-hearted  Jehu  i^assed  over  when  he  went  to  Samaria 
on  his  mission  of  death,  about  the  time  he  cunningly  devised  the  scheme 
which  resulted  in  the  massacre  of  all  the  worshipers  of  Baal.  It  is  be- 
lieved he  was  on  this  road,  near  Engannim,  when  he  received  Jonadab, 
the  son  of  Rechab,  into  his  chariot. 

The  beautiful  plain  of  Esdraelon  is  entered  just  at  the  northern  end 
of  the  town  ;  here,  a  fine  prospect  of  the  country  for  miles  around  is 
spread  out  to  view.  In  the  far  north,  Hermon  is  seen  ;  a  little  to  the 
northwest,  Gilboa  and  Little  Hermon  appear  in  sight,  and  on  the 
southwest,  Carmel  is  seen  stretching  herself  to  the  sea.  It  almost 
seems  to  one  who  has  been  traveling  through  the  interior  a  few  days  as 
if  he  was  coming  from  behind  a  dark  cloud,  such  is  the  pleasant  change 
of  nature.  The  beautiful  lilies  are  seen  in  every  direction,  and  life 
seemingly  begins  anew. 

This  large  tract  of  land  is  known  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  plain  of 
Jezreel,  which  is  the  Hebrew  form  of  the  Greek  "  Esdraelon."  This 
plain  was  the  frontier  of  Zebulun,  and  the  special  portion  of  Issachar; 


FROM  SAMARIA   TO  JEZREEL.  293 

it  passes  through  the  country  east  and  west  from  the  valley  of  the  Jor- 
dan to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  That  portion  north  of  Mt.  Carmel  is 
known  as  the  Plain  of  Acre  ;  the  central  portion  is  called  the  Valley 
of  Megiddo,  an  immense  triangle,  having  its  highest  point  towards  the 
west,  at  the  eastern  end  of  Mt.  Carmel.  It  is  estimated  to  be  about 
fourteen  miles  long  on  the  north  side,  seventeen  on  the  east,  and  twenty 
on  the  southwest  The  plain  is  cut  by  the  interference  of  Little  Her- 
raon  and  Mt.  Gilboa,  so  that  it  became  three  separate  valleys  of  equal 
proportions ;  the  centre  one  is  the  noted  valley  of  Jezreel,  stretching 
gently  into  the  valley  of  the  Jordan. 

The  plain  of  Esdraelon  is  not  only  famous  for  its  superior  beauty, 
but  as  a  battle-field  ;  some  very  memorable  battles  were  fought  in 
different  parts  of  it,  and  Israel  has  sent  up  many  shouts  of  joy  along 
its  bordering  mountains,  because  of  the  victories  the  Lord  won  for 
them.  Among  the  most  prominent  battles  fought  in  this  plain  were, 
the  one  between  the  Israelites  and  Syrians  (Josh.  xvii.  16;  Deut. 
xxxiii.  18),  in  which  Deborah,  Barak  and  Sisera,  were  the  most  prom- 
inent factors ;  another  with  Israel  and  Syria,  in  the  reign  of  Ahab  ; 
also,  one  between  Saul  and  the  Philistines,  in  which  the  king  received 
his  death-wound  ;  and  one  between  Gideon  and  the  Midiauites.  There 
was  also  a  fierce  battle  encountered  here  between  Josiah  and  Pharaoh- 
nechho,  in  which  the  former  was  slain  ;  here,  the  Romans  fought  sore 
battles  when  contending  for  the  supremacy  ;  and  the  Crusaders,  when 
contending  for  the  right  of  Christianity,  found  Esdraelon  a  convenient 
battle-field.  In  this  plain  over  against  Mt.  Tabor,  the  French  engaged 
in  a  deadly  conflict  with  the  Turks ;  fifteen  hundred  of  the  former 
battled  against  twenty  thousand  of  the  latter  for  thirty-five  hours  and 
were  rescued  by  Napoleon.  There  are  many  places  to  be  seen  in  and 
about  the  plain,  the  names  of  which  are  familiar  to  Christendom  on 
account  of  frequent  mention  being  made  of  them  in  the  Bible.  Several 
are  in  nearly  a  direct  line  to  Nazareth,  and  can  be  visited  by  making 
short  detours.  We  shall  mention  them  as  we  proceed,  for  there  are  so 
many  historical  localities  in  the  midst  of  this  plain  and  along  its  bor- 
der, we  deem  it  best  to  refer  to  them,  if  only  slightly,  as  we  come  to 
them.  Engannim  is  the  usual  halting  place  over  night  for  northern- 
bound  travelers  (Judges  vi.  33  ;  iv.  14  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  29  ;  1  Samuel 
xxix.  1),  it  being  the  most  favorable  place  from  which  to  reach  Naza- 
reth in  one  day's  travel,  and  allow  a  visit  to  the  several  important 
places  along  the  way.  The  whole  journey  through  the  plain  is  enjoya- 
ble, especially  to  those  who  are  attracted  by  the  fragrance  of  a  vast 
variety  of  flowers ;  for  the  whole  expanse  is  aglow  with  some  of  the 


294  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

most  beautiful  lilies,  roses  and  many  other  kinds  of  wild  flowers  that 
nature  can  produce,  so  that  the  scene  is  really  dazzling.  Several 
ancient  villages  and  places  of  historic  importance  are  in  view  on  either 
side  of  the  highway  as  we  proceed  toward  Jezreel ;  some  of  them  are 
so  surrounded  with  flowers  they  appear  like  a  paradise.  There  are  but 
few  elevations  in  the  plain  proper ;  therefore,  the  whole  landscape  from 
the  base  of  the  mountains,  on  either  side,  is  comparatively  level ;  and 
instead  of  draining  off"  the  great  flow  of  water  that  is  poured  into  it 
from  the  mountains  during  the  heavy  rains,  it  soaks  the  ground  and 
makes  traveling  very  difficult  for  man  and  beast.  Some  portions  of 
the  plain  are  like  a  marsh  for  three  or  four  miles,  which  at  times  becomes 
impassable.  It  has  been  several  times  the  case,  that  animals  have 
stuck  fast  in  the  mud  and  were  obliged  to  remain  there  a  day  or  two. 
It  has  also  been  the  case  that  tourists  have  had  to  get  down  in  the  midst 
of  the  worst  of  the  marsh  and  make  their  way  out  as  best  they  could, 
leaving  their  horses  stuck  fast,  and  were  compelled  to  unload  them 
before  they  could  be  released.  This  difiiculty  exists  because  of  the 
great  lack  of  water-courses.  The  water  which  accumulates  from  day 
to  day  during  the  season  of  the  heavy  rains,  must  remain  in  the  low 
land  until  it  settles  in  the  earth,  except  in  those  parts  near  a  regular 
stream  or  winter  torrent.  The  river  Kishon  and  its  few  small  tribu- 
taries are  of  great  benefit  in  taking  the  water  from  the  plain  about 
Jenin  and  along  their  coasts.  Through  these  small  channels,  the 
drainage  from  the  foot  of  Mounts  Gilboa  and  Tabor  flows  to  the  western 
sea  ;  there  is  a  small  winter  stream  that  flows  through  the  valley  of 
Jezreel  to  the  Jordan.  It  will  be  called  to  mind,  that  these  two  streams 
run  in  direct  opposite  courses  ;  the  former  flowing  to  the  west,  the  latter, 
to  the  east ;  were  it  not  for  these  little  streams,  many  parts  of  the 
plain  would  be  so  greatly  soaked  no  one  could  travel  through  it 
in  winter,  especially  from  Jenin  to  Jezreel,  for  the  mud  and  water 
would  form  a  complete  blockade.  Soon  after  leaving  Jenin  going 
northward,  Taanach,  Gath-rimmon.  Kedesh  and  Lejjun,  the  ancient 
Megiddo,  are  passed  at  a  short  distance,  but  can  be  distinctly  seen.  Mt. 
Gilboa  lies  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  main  road,  but  as  Jezreel  is 
approached,  it  skirts  its  border.  This  famous  mountain  of  the  Scrip- 
tures lies  northeast  and  southeast,  and  is  estimated  to  be  eight  miles 
long  from  Jellron  to  Zer'ain,  and  six  miles  wide  from  Beitkad  to 
Mujedd'a.  It  contains  several  peaks  which  are  intercepted  by  small 
villages,  its  highest  summit  being  nearly  seventeen  hundi'ed  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Some  parts  of  Gilboa  are  very 
rocky  and  desolate,  while  in  other  portions  spots  are  seen  at  intervals 


FROM  SAMARIA  TO   JEZREEL.  295 

which  show  evidences  of  fruitfulness,  and  the  husbandmen  are  busily 
at  work  from  da}-  to  day,  tilling  the  soil,  planting  and  reaping.  The 
most  barren  land  is  on  the  north  side,  and  there  is  nothing  seen  on  the 
south  but  clusters  of  shrub-bushes  and  dwarf  trees.  There  is  nothing 
of  special  interest  to  a  traveler  upon  Gilboa  except  a  more  definite 
knowledge  of  its  general  condition.  The  journey  is  very  fatiguing 
and  monotonous  even  to  the  natives  themselves.  There  was  a  bitter 
feeling  existing  among  nearly  all  the  tribes  and  nations  against  the 
Israelites  about  them  ;  these,  in  connection  with  their  domestic  troubles, 
kept  them  almost  constantly  at  war  with  foes  within  and  without ;  for 
when  they  were  free  from  internal  struggles,  they  were  engaged  in 
battle  with  some  foreign  power  whom,  at  times,  they  found  to  be  more 
than  a  match  for  them.  It  may  be  said  of  Israel,  it  was  a  target  for 
all  other  tribes  and  nations ;  but  of  the  numerous  foes  who  gave  much 
trouble  and  perplexity  to  them,  none  were  more  vexing  than  those 
imposed  upon  them  by  the  aggressive  tribes  of  the  desert  on  the  east 
and  south  of  Palestine,  known  as  the  Amalekites  and  Midianites,  who 
for  centuries  sorely  troubled  this  famous  people,  whom  the  Lord  had 
brought  into  the  land.  These  sons  of  the  desert  first  opposed  them 
while  on  their  way  to  the  "  Land  of  Promise."  They  followed  them 
after  they  had  settled  themselves  in  their  homes,  and  continued  their 
assaults  upon  them  in  every  way  they  could.  They  came  against 
Israel  with  a  tremendous  force  in  the  time  of  Gideon,  but  the  Lord 
greatly  discomfited  them,  and  gave  the  victory  to  the  small  army  of 
brave  men,  who  had  the  courage  to  confront  them.  The  Amalekites 
lived  in  Arabia  Petrsea,  between  the  Red  and  Dead  Seas ;  they  are 
suj^posed  to  have  been  a  migrating  people,  being  very  powerful  and 
warlike.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many,  they  were  more  numerous  in  that 
territory  south  of  Palestine,  between  Mt.  Seir  and  the  border  of 
Egypt ;  but  they  did  not  seem  to  have  many  cities ;  as  a  rule  they 
lived  in  caves  and  tents.  Soon  after  the  children  of  Israel  crossed  the 
Red  Sea,  they  were  opposed  by  them  in  the  desert  of  Rephidim,  and 
they  slew  all  the  Hebrews  whom  they  found  straggling  behind  the 
army.  This  conduct  greatly  incensed  the  Israelites  and  they  concluded 
to  exterminate  them  ;  but  this  determination  was  not  executed,  for  they 
made  another  attack  upon  Israel,  or  some  of  them,  when  they  were  on 
the  border  of  Canaan. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  desert  had  a  hatred  against  the  Hebrews, 
which  nothing  but  vengeance  could  satisfy,  and  every  generation  came 
into  activity  with  the  same  feeling  of  unfriendliness,  and  were  engaged 
warring  against  the  Israelites  after  they  had  established  a  kingdom. 


296  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

The  Midianites  were  descendants  of  Midian  ;  they  were  a  wandering 
people,  living  largely  in  Arabia,  and  are  said  to  have  been  very  nu- 
merous, having  rich  possessions,  consisting  mostly  of  flocks,  herds  and 
camels.  It  seems  as  though  they  lived  mainly  on  the  east  of  the 
Elonitic  branch  of  the  Red  Sea,  about  the  location  of  Midian.  These 
people  became  very  numerous,  and  spread  themselves  over  a  large 
tract  of  the  desert,  and  when  their  own  land  seemed  too  narrow  for 
them  the}^  came  east  of  Mount  Seir  to  the  border  of  the  Moabites,  and 
on  the  other  side  to  the  region  of  Mount  Sinai.  They  were  the  de- 
scendants of  Ishmael,  but  the  two  tribes  seem  to  have  been  so  intimate 
or  mixed  they  are  sometimes  called  by  the  same  name,  or  by  both,  as 
the  case  may  be ;  that  is,  at  times  they  would  call  them  by  the  one 
name,  and  at  other  times  by  the  other  (Exodus  xvii.  8-16;  Num. 
xiv.  45).  Their  capital  was  called  Midian  as  late  as  the  time  of 
Jerome  and  Eusebius  ;  much  of  its  ruins  were  to  be  seen.  It  was 
situated  on  the  river  Ornon,  south  of  Areopolis.  They  were,  as  all 
their  kindred  tribes,  idol-worshipers,  and  many  times  Israel  became 
anxious  to  adopt  their  gods  or  mode  of  worship.  Therefore,  when  the 
Midianites  were  not  in  open  contest  with  the  Hebrews,  they  would  be 
inducing  them  to  pay  their  devotions  to  idols.  At  other  times  they 
would  sorely  oppress  them,  and  cause  their  hearts  to  bleed  because  of 
the  outrages  perpetrated  upon  them.  Many  times  it  occurred  that 
when  the  Israelites  were  about  to  gather  the  produce,  for  which  they 
had  toiled  hard,  the  Midianites  would  suddenly  come  down  upon  them 
and  drive  them  from  the  field  and  gather  the  harvest  themselves.  It 
is  written,  "The  Amalekites  and  Midianites,  children  of  the  desert, 
would  come  down  like  locusts  in  countless  swarms,  with  their  cattle 
and  tents  and  camels,  to  devour  and  carry  off  the  fruits  of  the 
ground."  They  would  come  with  their  arms,  ready  to  do  violence,  or 
even  murder,  if  they  could  not  drive  off"  the  Hebrew  fai'mers  by  mere 
threats.  Hence  the  poor  husbandmen,  who  had  been  toiling  all  the 
season,  were  many  times  compelled  to  flee  for  their  life,  leaving  all 
their  possessions  (Isa.  ix.  6;  Acts  vii.  29;  Exodus  iii.  1  ;  xviii.  1  ; 
Num.  xxii.  25-31 ;  Judges  vi  8 ;  Gen.  xxv.  2-4),  and  seek  places  of 
refuge  in  dens,  caves,  and  in  the  solitary  mountains,  where  they  must 
remain  until  their  thieving  foes  had  satisfied  themselves  with  plunder 
and  retired.  At  one  time,  when  these  outlaws  came  on  their  mission 
of  plunder  and  death,  God  commissioned  Gideon  to  deliver  the  people, 
whose  hearts  had  often  bled  because  of  these  malicious  foes.  He  en- 
tered into  the  conflict  against  a  great  multitude,  but  God  commanded 
his  little  army,  and  gave  him  the  victory.     It  may  not  be  out  of  place 


FROM  SAMARIA  TO  JEZREEL.  297 

to  state  here  that  the  Ishmaelites  of  the  present  age  are  followers  of 
their  ancestors  in  all  the  malicious  work  they  indulged  and  fondly 
practiced;  therefore  they  may  be  justly  classed  with  them  in  the  com- 
mission of  the  meanest  and  most  nuirderous  crimes  of  which  mankind 
is  guilty.  They  are  constantly  on  the  alert,  seeking  plunder,  and  are 
not  only  dreaded  by  strangers,  but  by  natives  as  well.  At  the  time  in 
question  Gideon  was  a  Judge  in  Israel ;  he  was  a  very  prudent  and 
just  man,  living  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  resided  on  the  east  of  the 
Jordan  in  Ophrah,  and,  no  doubt,  witnessed  many  of  the  disadvantages 
which  the  people  over  whom  he  presided  were  compelled  to 
endure.  Moreover,  as  he  was  a  judge,  it  is  likely  the  people  often 
complained  to  him  of  the  conduct  of  the  Midianites,  for  many  living 
in  his  district  suffered  on  account  of  them,  and  when  he  heard  the 
news  he  was  greatly  pained.  It  is  highly  probable  Gideon  cried  to 
God  daily  in  behalf  of  the  people,  and  asked  Him  to  interpose  for 
them.  Many  times  the  people  "sowed  in  tears,"  thinking  of  what 
was  likely  to  occur  about   the  time  of  harvest. 

The  Lord  called  Gideon  to  go  forth  and  drive  from  the  land  those 
barbarous  people  who  were  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  of  Israel,  that  they 
might  have  rest  from  continued  hostilities.  And  that  he  might  be 
assured  of  success,  God  showed  him  signs  from  heaven  which  stimu- 
lated l.im  for  the  battle,  for  he  was  so  nerved  by  them  that  he  was  as 
certain  of  the  victory  before  the  engagement  was  begun  as  if  it  had 
been  already  practically  won.  The  tribes  of  the  desert  formed  a  com- 
bination and  invaded  the  land,  intending  to  make  a  sweeping  raid 
everywhere  throughout  those  parts  inhabited  by  the  Hebrews.  They 
crossed  to  the  west  of  the  Jordan  and  entered  the  plain  of  Esdraelon, 
and  proceeded  beyond  Carmel  and  Charon  to  the  confines  of  Philistia, 
having  multitudes  of  camels  and  cattle  and  a  great  number  of  tents, 
preparing  to  settle  in  the  country  so  as  to  be  ready  at  any  moment  to 
do  violence  to  the  Israelites  whose  kindred  they  had  inhumanly  de- 
stroyed on  the  east  of  the  Jordan.  (Judges  vi.  7.)  The  presence  of 
these  wanderers  filled  the  people  with  great  fear ;  indeed,  their  fears 
were  well  founded,  for  their  crops  had  been  destroyed,  their  pastures 
filled  with  strange  cattle,  and  they  had  to  escape  for  their  life.  Gideon, 
himself,  had  suffered  much  by  the  intrusion  of  these  plunderers,  and 
his  brothers,  who  had  gone  over  to  INIount  Tabor,  had  been  overtaken 
and  slain  by  the  princes  of  Midian.  He,  therefore,  attempted  to  col- 
lect a  large  army  to  drive  the  intruders  out  of  the  land,  but  this  he 
found  to  be  a  hard  thing,  the  men  being  timid  because  of  the  jiast 
offenses.     Gideon  was  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  whose  allotment  in 


298  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Canaan  was  on  the  southern  border  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  He 
succeeded  in  collecting  his  forces,  which  at  first  were  thirty-two  thou- 
sand men,  but  fear  seized  twenty-two  thousand  of  these,  who,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  command  of  Gideon,  left  the  army  and  w-ent  to  their 
homes.  Nine  thousand  and  seven  hundred  more,  because  of  faint- 
heartedness, refused  to  "  lap  water  like  a  dog,"  and  were  therefore 
excused.  The  daring  Midianites  and  Amalekites  were  camped  in  the 
valley  of  Jezreel,  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  city,  between  Little  Hermon 
and  Mount  Gilboa,  known  as  "  the  hill  of  Moreh."  Gideon,  the  man 
of  valor,  came  down  from  the  hills  of  Manasseh  with  his  men,  pitched 
his  camp  beside  the  well  of  Harod,  which  is  believed  to  be  the  foun- 
tain of  Jezreel,  now  known  as  Gideon's  fountain,  having  only  a  small 
number  of  men  upon  whom  to  rely,  who,  rather  than  be  subjected  to 
the  outrages  of  the  invaders,  would  sacrifice  their  existence.  The  com- 
mander went  in  the  dead  stillness  of  the  night  over  to  the  camp  of  the 
enemy,  and  just  arrived  there  in  time  to  listen  to  one  of  the  Midianitish 
soldiers  relating  his  dream  to  one  of  his  fellows,  which  clearly  indicated 
a  defeat  and  assured  Gideon  of  a  glorious  victory.  His  next  move- 
ment was  very  unlike  the  usual  custom  of  procedure  when  an  army  is 
about  to  attack  an  enemy ;  he  was  totally  without  the  ordinary  weap- 
ons of  defense,  but  he  marched  silently  forward,  unseen  and  unheard. 
The  invaders  were  quietly  sleeping,  many  of  whom  lay  down  expect- 
ing to  make  a  sweeping  dash  upon  Israel  the  next  day.  But  Gideon 
with  but  three  hundred  men,  these  each  armed  only  with  a  pitcher,  a 
lamp  and  a  trumpet.  This  strangely  equipped  comj^any  came  cau- 
tiously up  to  the  camp  of  the  combined  foes  and  spread  their  line  out 
the  whole  length  of  their  camp,  which  would  appear  like  a  vast  army 
to  any  one  suddenly  aroused  from  sleep.  Then  instantly,  as  if  a  mighty 
thunder  had  disturbed  the  midnight  silence,  or  a  shocking  earthquake 
had  shaken  the  ground,  the  thunder  of  the  smashing  of  three  hundred 
pitchers  w^as  heard,  three  hundred  lamps  flashed  with  fire,  three  hun- 
dred trumpets  were  sounding,  and  three  hundred  voices  cried  out, 
"  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  Gideon." 

The  sleeping  multitudes  of  the  Amalekites  and  Midianites  were 
immediately  aroused  from  their  quiet,  filled  with  alarm  and  being 
wild  with  confusion  did  not  take  the  time  to  notice  who  were  friends 
and  who  belonged  to  Israel ;  but  began  striking  right  and  left,  killing 
each  other  at  a  rapid  rate,  mistaking  their  own  men  for  those  of 
Gideon.  At  length  they  fled  from  the  camp,  madly  running  towards 
the  ford  of  the  Jordan  near  Succoth,  hoping  to  be  able  to  cross 
there  and  escape  the  vengeance  of  the  Israelites.     A  few  made  good 


FROM  SAMARIA   TO  JEZREEL.  299 

their  escape,  but  the  large  majority  were  captured  and  slain.  Israel 
was  once  more  free  from  a  most  bitter  and  annoying  foe.  But  there 
was  not  a  complete  subjugation  of  these  people,  for,  down  the  line  as 
far  as  the  time  of  King  Saul,  they  were  seeking  Israel.  The  causes 
which  provoked  the  bitter  feeling  of  those  powerful  tribes  against 
Israel,  is  an  illustration  of  the  enmity  that  was  fostered  from  one  gen- 
eration to  another,  as  has  been  stated.  These  people  sought  to  revenge 
Israel  for  an  action  of  Moses  against  their  forefathers.  When  the 
great  leader  and  law-giver  of  the  Hebrews  was  journeying  to  Canaan 
with  his  vast  army,  he  camped  for  a  time  within  the  confines  of  Moab, 
at  the  time  Balak  was  king ;  he,  fearing  his  country  would  become 
impoverished  by  the  multitudes  who  had  appeared  in  his  territory,  or 
that  they  would  overpower  him  and  take  possession  of  the  land,  was 
anxious  to  get  rid  of  them.  He  therefore  appointed  a  large  delegation 
to  wait  upon  Balaam,  and  solicit  him  to  come  and  curse  Israel.  That 
the  petition  might  be  as  strong  and  influential  as  possible,  the  king 
requested  that  a  delegation  of  the  Midianites  should  accompany  his 
men  and  jointly  present  their  wishes.  When  this  matter  was  made 
known  to  Moses,  he  severely  punished  both  Moab  and  Midian,  causing 
their  king  and  male  population  to  be  slain,  their  cities  and  strongholds 
to  be  destroyed,  and  all  their  possessions,  together  with  their  wives  and 
children,  were  carried  to  the  camp  of  Israel  (Num.  xxxi.).  The 
residue  united  their  etforts,  and  within  two  hundred  years  became  a 
numerous  and  powerful  people.  And  having  had  the  conduct  of  the 
Israelites,  with  reference  to  the  massacre  of  their  ancestors,  transmitted 
to  each  generation,  with  the  ill-advice  that  they  should  retaliate  in  the 
same  way  even  to  the  last  generation,  the  Midianites  sought  the  life 
and  property  of  Israel  whenever  the  slightest  opportunity  was  pre- 
sented ;  and  this  was  the  chief  cause  of  their  attack  upon  them  in  that 
memorable  engagement  in  which  Gideon  was  the  most  conspicuous 
factor.  Before  going  to  Jezreel  or  Shunem,  it  is  customary  with  trav- 
elers to  make  a  detour  to  the  fountain  of  Gideon,  which  is  called  by 
the  natives  Ain  Jalud.  It  is  about  one  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles 
east  of  Jezreel,  under  the  northwestern  end  of  Mount  Gilboa,  and 
sometimes  called  the  "  Well  of  Harod."  It  is  a  large  stream  gushing 
from  the  crevice  of  a  mass  of  rocks,  which  seem  as  though  they  had 
been  deranged  by  an  earthquake.  Just  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  a 
few  feet  from  the  point  where  the  water  spouts  out  is  a  natural  reser- 
voir, quite  narrow  at  the  end  next  the  mountain,  but  suddenly  widens, 
so  that  it  is  about  fifteen  feet  wide  with  a  diameter  (according  to  esti- 
mate) of  fifty  feet.     As  the  word  Harod  means  trembling,  it  is  highly 


300  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

probable  the  name  was  applied  to  it  because  the  men  of  Gideon,  who 
did  not  lap  water,  were  so  greatly  overawed  with  fear  they  shook  while 
standing  there  ;  therefore,  the  name  is  highly  appropriate. 

The  brave  and  heroic  leader  and  commander  of  the  stalwart  three 
hundred  fearless  men  who  composed  his  army,  came  here,  lapped  water, 
as  a  signal  of  their  willingness  to  go  out  against  the  Midianitish  hosts, 
and  under  the  guidance  of  the  Lord  and  Gideon,  put  them  to  flight. 
The  fountain  sends  forth  a  stream  of  crystal-like  water,  very  delightful  to 
drink.  The  Lord  assured  His  servant  that  He  would  deliver  Israel  out  of 
the  hand  of  their  enemy  and  save  every  one  of  the  three  hundred  dauntless 
men  whose  confidence  was  strongly  fixed  in  Him,  although  their  ene- 
mies were  as  numerous  as  grasshoppers,  and  their  camels  without  num- 
ber, as  the  sands  of  the  sea.  There  never  was  a  general  who  entered 
upon  the  field  of  battle  against  a  foe  with  stronger  confidence  of  a  tri- 
umphant victory  than  Gideon.  Men  of  to-day  would  have  branded 
him  with  insanity,  as  they  did  John  Brown,  who  marched  to  Harper's 
Ferry  with  a  few  men  and  struck  an  effective  blow  for  the  freedom  of 
four  and  a  half  millions  of  poor  colored  slaves. 

The  little  army  of  Gideon  was  not  provided  with  the  current  deadly 
weapons  of  warfare,  but  with  such  keen-edged  instruments  as  were  not 
known  to  the  foes  against  whom  he  marched.  The  sword  of  the  Lord 
and  Gideon  was  the  armor  of  the  three  hundred,  which  cut  down  the 
enemy  like  grass,  and  caused  a  shout  of  triumph  to  go  up  from  the 
small  army  that  made  the  regions  round  about  echo.  It  is  also  note- 
worthy, that  when  the  hosts  of  Philistines  had  gathered  in  battle  array 
against  Israel,  they  camped  just  across  the  plain  near  Shunem,  and 
King  Saul  pitched  his  camp  near  the  fountain  of  Jezreel,  where  Gid- 
eon and  his  brave  three  hundred  had  their  headquarters.  The  Philis- 
tines were  anxious  to  subordinate  the  Israelites,  and  resorted  to  all 
manner  of  schemes  to  accomplish  their  wish.  They  made  a  strong 
effort  in  this  direction  in  the  youthful  days  of  David,  and  felt  confident 
of  gratifying  results  through  the  conquering  arm  of  Goliath  of  Gath, 
whom  they  pitted  against  any  man  Israel  might  produce ;  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  heroic  courage  of  little  David,  the  contest  would  have 
been  deeply  perplexing  to  Saul.  The  lad  sent  a  stone  well  directed 
from  his  [sling,  which  brought  Goliath  low.  This  great  victory 
weakened  the  Philistines  and  gave  fresh  courage  to  Israel.  But  these 
people  prepared  to  renew  their  strength,  and  came  with  more  energy 
than  ever  before.  It  may  be  said  of  the  Philistines,  that  no  people  in 
Canaan,  except  the  Phoenicians,  were  so  well  equipped  for  warfare  ; 
they  were  indomitable  in  spirit,  and  marshalled  one  of  the  most  war- 


FROM   SAMARIA   TO  JEZREEL.  301 

like  armies  known  in  the  land,  with  stores  of  wealth  to  sustain  them  ; 
so  that  when  they  came  over  to  Mt.  Gilboa  to  attack  Saul's  army,  they 
seemed  as  numerous  as  the  locusts  of  Egypt.  In  this  conflict  Saul  fell. 
Before  entering  into  the  particulars  of  the  battle  in  which  King  Saul 
received  his  death-wound,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  give  a  brief  sketch 
of  this  war-like  people,  who  so  often  made  it  opportune  to  oppose 
Israel. 

The  Philistines,  from  whose  general  name  the  promised  land  is 
called  Palestine,  were  very  numerous  on  the  borderland  along  the 
southern  coast  between  Joppa  and  the  northwestern  border  of  Egypt. 
They  had  established  themselves  there  at  a  very  early  date,  and  had 
formed  a  government  with  a  king  over  them  when  Abraham  came  in 
the  land  and  had  built  several  small  cities.  There  are  divided  opin- 
ions as  to  from  which  of  the  three  great  ancestors  they  descended ; 
some  think  they  were  of  the  race  of  Shem ;  others  believe  they  were  of 
Japhetic  origin  ;  and  a  third  opinion  is  that  they  were  racially  identi- 
fied with  Ham  ;  or  may  have  been  a  mixture  of  one  of  the  two  other 
races.  However,  it  is  the  settled  opinion  that  they  came  from  Egypt 
first  and  settled  on  the  Island  of  Crete  ;  from  there  they  migrated  to 
Southern  Palestine  and  planted  themselves  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Plain  of  Philistia,  between  the  sea  and  the  western  boundary  of  Judea. 

About  the  time  Saul  began  his  reign,  this  people  had  multiplied 
very  greatly.  It  may  be  that  they  w^ere  not  all  of  one  race,  for  as  the 
word  Philistine  means  "  stranger,"  it  would  apply  to  all  persons  coming 
there  of  foreign  birth  ;  and  it  is  generally  known  that  in  all  large  com- 
munities, in  those  times  as  now,  other  races  settled  among  those  who 
were  known  as  the  primitive  inhabitants.  Such  a  custom  prevailed 
from  very  early  times,  and  it  was  the  case  in  Israel,  notwithstanding  a 
law  existed  among  them  forbidding  their  mingling  with  other  peoples. 
It  is  also  known  that  it  was  an  ordinary  thing  for  different  political 
states  and  tribes  to  combine  in  a  common  cause  to  protect  themselves 
against  other  powers  ;  and  such  an  alliance  naturally  introduced  social 
relations.  This  is  one  of  the  reasons,  and  perhaps  the  major  cause, 
that  brought  many  of  the  high  officials  of  Israel  into  social  intercourse 
with  other  nations  and  tribes.  Therefore  we  feel  competent,  with  these 
facts  in  view,  to  venture  the  assertion  that  much  of  the  numerical 
growth  of  the  Philistines  was  caused  by  the  migration  of  other  people. 
As  the  growing  population  of  the  world  made  it  necessary  for  those 
who  were  confined  in  a  straightened  district  or  province  to  seek  locali- 
ties more  suited  to  their  wants,  men  began  to  migrate  in  small  colonies 
to  other  parts  which  were  not  burdened  with  inhabitants.     Therefore 


302  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

this  was  no  doubt  the  stimulating  cause  that  impelled  the  Philistines, 
formerly  known  as  Cretens  or  Caphtorims,  to  leave  their  island  home 
and  come  over  to  Canaan.  Being  pleased  with  both  the  availableness  and 
richness  of  the  country,  they  established  themselves  in  the  southern  por- 
tion along  the  sea,  adjoining  the  territory  settled  by  the  Hamites.  The 
Philistines,  having  become  a  strong  political  people  when  the  Israelites 
entered  Canaan,  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  dispossess  them  of  their 
territory.  Joshua  did  attack  them,  but  it  seems  they  suffered  but  little 
inconvenience  from  it,  if  any  Their  portion  of  the  country  was  very 
rich  and  fertile,  and  when  a  sore  famine  raged  in  other  portions  of 
Canaan,  the  Philistines  had  abundant  supplies.  When  the  seven 
years'  famine  was  greatly  distressing  the  land,  and  the  beautiful  rich 
plain  of  Esdraelou  was  parched  and  unyielding  so  that  want  and  suf- 
fering prevailed,  Elisha  the  prophet  sought  refuge  in  Philistia,  as  did 
the  Shunammite  woman  who  had  cared  for  him  so  faithfully.  The 
Philistines  had  five  principal  cities  that  were  thickly  inhabited, 
namely :  Gaza,  Ekron,  Askelou,  Ashdod,  and  Gath,  the  home  of 
Goliath,  the  great  champion  upon  whom  they  so  strongly  relied ;  who, 
when  they  demanded  that  Israel  should  send  out  a  man  to  contend 
against  him,  when  seeing  little  David,  the  youngest  son  of  Jesse, 
coming  down  the  hillside  to  strive  against  him,  became  madly  insane. 
These  people  troubled  Israel  and  even  alarmed  them  for  about  one 
hundred  and  tw^enty  years,  because  of  their  aggressiveness,  and  their 
armed  forces  were  always  a  signal  of  discomfort  to  them.  King  Saul 
himself  was  seized  w'ith  dismay  when  he  saw  the  armed  multitudes  of 
their  dreaded  enemy  encamped  at  Shunem.  The  Philistines  watched 
Israel  with  a  jealous  eye ;  and  when  they  knew  of  an  extra  large  gath- 
ering of  them,  spies  would  come  up  from  Philistia  to  see  and  hear 
what  it  meant.  But  there  was  a  sudden  increase  of  strength  and  cour- 
age in  Israel  when  they  assembled  at  Mizpeh,  about  twenty  years  after 
the  Ark  of  God  had  been  recovered  from  the  Philistines.  The  people 
had  returned  to  the  Lord  to  the  extent  that  a  religious  reformation 
obtained  among  them,  through  the  blessed  influence  of  their  pious 
leader  and  adviser,  Samuel  the  prophet,  who  was  also  the  last  regular 
judge  divinely  appointed  over  them. 

The  Israelites,  having  seen  their  unfortunate  situation,  became 
anxious  for  the  return  of  the  favor  of  the  Lord  in  their  midst  as  in 
other  days,  when  He  led  them  triumphantly  in  every  struggle  against 
their  enemies  They  therefore  put  away  their  strange  gods  and  earn- 
estly cried  unto  the  God  of  their  fathers  to  mercifully  return  unto 
them  and  lead  them,  pledging  themselves  to  observe  His  commands. 


FROM  SAMARIA   TO  JEZREEL.  303 

They  then,  in  accordance  with  the  call  of  Samuel,  assembled  at  Mizpah 
to  renew  their  vows,  and  solemnly  engage  themselves  in  religious  de- 
votion to  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  When  the  Philistines  saw 
the  people  thronging  the  highways  in  multitudes  to  attend  the  convo- 
cation their  suspicions  were  greatly  aroused,  thinking  they  had  mis- 
chievous aims  in  view,  so  they  came  up  from  their  lowland  cities,  armed 
with  deadly  weapons,  against  the  assemblage,  thinking  the  knowledge 
of  their  presence  would  intimidate  Israel  and  confuse  their  purpose. 
But  Israel,  having  newly  and  solemnly  dedicated  themselves  to  God, 
immediately  received  a  revival  of  their  former  courage,  and  once  more 
the  people  went  out  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  the  God  of  their 
fathers,  who  fought  for  them  and  gave  them  a  glorious  victory.  The 
Philistines  fled  from  the  presence  of  Israel  in  great  alarm,  but  were 
pursued,  and  numbers  of  them  were  overtaken  and  slain.  Then 
Samuel  set  up  the  memorial-stone  and  called  it  Ebenezer,  saying, 
"  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  us."  Such  was  the  success  of  the 
Israelites  in  their  engagement,  the  Philistines  restored  to  them  the 
cities  they  had  captured,  even  from  Ekron  to  Gath,  and  the  coasts 
thereof.  Then  there  was  peace,  for  the  great  victory  of  Israel  so  sub- 
dued the  Philistines  they  did  not  attempt  an  open  attack  again  until 
the  reign  of  King  Saul.  During  his  long  and  perplexing  rule  those 
people  of  the  lowland  began  to  renew  their  encroachments  upon  the 
children  of  Israel,  with  almost  continued  success.  It  appears  they 
renewed  their  usurpations  about  the  time  Saul  was  inaugurated,  and 
continued  them  with  increasing  vexations  until  the  day  that  monarch 
died  on  Mount  Gilboa.  The  first  war  these  lowlanders  had  with  Saul 
they  brought  up  a  tremendous  army,  having  thirty  thousand  chariots 
of  war,  six  hundred  thousand  horsemen,  "  and  people  as  the  sand  of 
the  seashore  in  multitude."  This  vast  number  came  up  and  camped 
at  Michmash,  a  little  to  the  south-east  of  Bethel.  The  Israelites  along 
the  route  they  marched  were  greatly  alarmed,  so  that  many  left  their 
homes  and  took  refuge  in  caves  and  dens ;  others  fled  to  the  east  of  the 
Jordan ;  but  Saul  came  out  with  his  men  of  war  and  slew  them  right 
and  left.  So  vigorous  was  the  conflict  that  the  Philistines  fled  from 
the  field,  and  the  victorious  Israelites  pursued  them  as  far  as  Ajalon, 
cutting  them  down  as  they  ran.  This  is  the  fight  that  took  place  after 
Jonathan,  the  eldest  son  of  Saul,  performed  that  brilliant  exploit  when 
he  entered  the  garrison  of  the  Philistines  without  the  knowledge  of 
any  one  except  his  armor-bearer,  who  went  with  him,  and  threw  the 
whole  camp  into  a  state  of  confusion.  This  act  of  heroism  has  made 
the  name  of  Jonathan  memorable  to  the  present  generation.  But  there 


304  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

seems  to  have  been  a  restless  purpose  existing  in  the  Pliilistines  never 
to  abandon  their  endeavors  until  they  had  become  the  acknowledged 
masters  of  the  Israelites.  Therefore,  if  they  lost  a  battle,  it  only  served 
as  a  stimulant  for  them  to  renew  their  attack. 

From  the  day  Samuel  died  a  train  of  alarming  adversities  began 
to  be  strewn  in  the  path  of  King  Saul,  which  haunted  him  through 
life.  This  young,  promising  king,  who  thrilled  the  hearts  of  his  sub- 
jects into  a  high  state  of  enthusiasm  when  he  appeared  before  them  at 
Mizpah,  and  fixed  himself  affectionately  in  their  esteem,  soon  began  to 
show  evidences  of  weakness,  which  indicated  that  he  was  being  con- 
trolled by  a  spirit  not  of  God.  In  the  meantime  the  Philistines,  who 
had  made  several  unsuccessful  assaults  upon  Israel,  prepared  themselves 
for  another,  more  vigorous  than  any  of  their  previous  attacks,  intend- 
ing to  subdue  them  or  crush  their  kingdom.  To  this  end  they  marched 
up  for  a  deadly  encounter,  and,  notwithstanding  their  plans  were  cun- 
ningly devised  and  arranged  in  profound  secrecy  (1  Sam.  xiii.  3;  xiv. 
1-52),  their  movement  was  bold  and  daring,  and  yet  so  unexpected  to 
the  Hebrews,  that  King  Saul  and  all  his  army  were  troubled.  The 
Philistines  came  up  from  their  lowland  homes  and  proceeded  north- 
ward, making  a  long  march  through  the  plain  of  Sharon  as  far  as 
Mount  Carmel,  then  crossed  to  the  plain  of  Jezreel  and  camped  on  the 
southern  slope  of  Little  Hermon,  near  ancient  Shunem.  King  Saul 
also  came  with  his  forces  and  camped  by  the  "  fountain  of  Jezreel," 
on  the  northern  slope  of  Mount  Gilboa.  These  camps  were  so  near 
each  other  that  Saul  could  look  across  the  narrow  neck  of  the  plain 
from  his  camping-ground  and  distinctly  see  the  army  of  the  Philis- 
tines, who  were  so  very  numerous ;  his  head  bowed,  and  sorrow, 
fear  and  weakness  seized  his  frame.  Then  he  began  examining  him- 
self Samuel,  the  mau  of  God,  who  had  cautiously  advised  him,  Avas 
dead  ;  the  priests  of  Nol)  had  been  put  to  death,  to  appease  his  wrath, 
by  his  own  command  ;  and,  more  than  all,  he  had  allowed  his  proud 
to  turn  him  from  God,  so  that  he  could  not  commune  with  Him  nor 
receive  an  answer  to  his  most  fervent  inquiries.  Saul  was  left  to  him- 
self in  the  darkest  moments  of  his  life ;  he  had  no  Samuel,  no  priests, 
and  no  God  from  whom  to  obtain  a  word  of  counsel,  which  he  so 
greatly  needed.  He  sought  it  in  dreams  and  asked  it  of  the  Urim  and 
inquired  of  the  prophets,  but  could  find  no  consolation ;  then  the  bitter 
anguish  of  his  heart  was  pressing  him  sore,  even  to  despair.  After  deep 
reflection  Saul  could  see  only  one  thing  to  do  that  might  relieve  his 
fears  or  disclose  to  him  the  results  of  the  pending  conflict.  The  little 
village  of  Endor  was  not  far  distant,  in  which  lived  a  woman  known 


JEZREEL  AND   ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  305 

to  be  a  \vitcli.  Saul  desired  to  consult  her,  for  he  was  willing  to  court 
the  favor  of  any  one  who  could  by  any  means  give  him  a  word  as  to 
the  turn  of  the  battle.  He  wanted  to  hear  from  Samuel  concerning 
the  matter,  although  he  did  not  treat  the  old  man  with  due  respect 
while  he  was  living,  and  received  a  stern  rebuke  by  him  for  his  unto- 
wardness,  very  early  after  he  was  anointed  to  be  the  King  of  Israel. 
Saul  must  have  felt  his  situation  most  keenly,  for  we  venture  the  asser- 
tion that  no  man  was  brought  into  a  deeper  state  of  humility  than  the 
falling  king.  He  had  two  great  impediments  to  encounter  in  attempt- 
ing to  effectually  carry  out  his  design.  He  wanted  to  go  over  to  Endor 
to  consult  the  witch,  and  to  do  so  he  must  run  the  risk  of  being  appre- 
hended by  the  Philistines,  for  they  were  in  camp  in  the  direction  of 
Endor,  and  to  get  there  he  must  pass  beyond  their  lines.  The  next 
obstacle  was  his  mission  to  consult  with  and  ask  a  favor  from  a  woman 
who  was  one  of  the  class  of  people  whom  he  had  manifested  uncom- 
promising opposition  to,  for  he  had  ordered  all  the  witches  in  the  land 
to  be  put  to  death.  Therefore,  to  be  compelled  in  an  extreme  moment 
to  go  to  a  person  for  favors  whom  he  had  commanded  should  be  killed, 
must  have  been  a  most  painful  thorn  in  his  side.  But,  as  humiliating 
as  it  was,  he  could  see  no  better  course  of  procedure  ;  hence,  of  the  two 
great  dilemmas,  he  chose  what  seemed  to  him  the  less.  King  Saul 
then  disguised  himself  and  started  in  the  thickest  of  the  darkness  to 
find  the  woman  of  Endor,  to  implore  her  to  bring  up  Samuel,  that  he 
might  consult  with  him. 

It  can  be  clearly  seen  that  Saul  was  a  believer  in  witchism,  al- 
though he  ordered  them  all  to  be  put  to  death.  He  found  the  woman, 
and  when  she  apprehended  him,  she  feared  his  visit  was  for  a  deadly 
purpose,  or  that  he  would  attempt  to  set  a  snai-e  for  her ;  but  he  swore 
to  her  that  she  should  not  die.  Having  heard  his  oath,  she  consented 
to  do  the  work  he  so  anxiously  desired  her  to  perform.  She  said  to 
Saul,  "  Whom  shall  I  bring  to  thee ?"  "Bring  me  up  Samuel,"  was 
the  answer  of  the  consternated  king.  She  gave  a  cry  and  said,  "Thou 
hast  deceived  me!  I  saw  gods  ascending  out  of  the  earth."  And  in 
answer  to  Saul's  question  as  to  the  appearance  of  the  objects  seen,  she 
said,  "  An  old  man  cometh  up,  and  he  is  covered  with  a  mantle."  The 
king  hearing  this,  feared  the  spirit  of  Samuel  and  bowed  himself  to  the 
ground,  and  heard  a  voice  saying  to  him,  "  Why  hast  thou  disquieted 
me?"  he  answered,  "I  was  sore  distressed,  for  the  Philistines  make  war 
against  me,  and  Jehovah  is  departed  from  me,  and  answereth  me  no 
more."  Then  said  the  voice  to  him,  "  Why  ask  of  me,  seeing  Jehovah 
is  departed  from  thee  and  become  thine  enemy  ?  He  hath  done  to 
20 


306  THE  LAND   OF   PROMISE. 

thee  as  He  said,  and  has  given  thy  kingdom  to  David,  and  He  will  de- 
liver thee  to  the  Philistines,  and  to-morrow  thou  shalt  be  with  me> 
thou  and  thy  three  sons." 

Then  Saul  was  nearly  helpless ;  in  an  instant  he  became  as  helpless 
as  a  baby,  and  gave  up  in  hopeless  despair,  for  his  doom  had  been  de- 
clared, and  he  was  of  no  more  service  to  himself  nor  his  army.  Saul 
had  the  fullest  confidence  in  what  he  heard ;  therefore,  it  is  not  hard 
to  understand  why  his  strength  left  him.  The  proud  and  selfish  king 
felt  himself  no  longer  the  successful  leader  of  Israel,  for  his  hope  had 
vanished  like  a  dream,  and  his  courage  melted  into  weakness.  The 
next  day  the  fierce  battle  was  begun ;  but  Saul  and  his  army  being 
overpowered  with  fear,  fled.  The  people  having  no  commander  or 
leader,  and  no  one  to  advise  the  discomfited  men  in  their  alarming 
peril,  all  their  courage  left  them,  and  the  wildest  confusion  prevailed. 
Those  who,  in  their  disorderly  flight,  could  not  keep  up  with  their  com- 
rades, were  captured  and  slain  wherever  found,  so  that  the  whole  line 
of  retreat  was  marked  by  dead  men. 

The  king,  being  conscious  of  defeat,  and  alarmed  by  the  doleful 
tidings  he  received  at  Endor  the  previous  night,  fled  with  his  three 
sons  to  Mt.  Gilboa,  hoping  to  find  a  safe  retreat  within  some  of  its 
hiding-places ;  but  nothing  could  save  them.  They  were  hotly  pur- 
sued up  the  rugged  slope  by  the  courageous  Philistines,  and  before  they 
could  elude  them,  Jonathan,  Abinadab  and  Malchishua,  sons  of  Saul, 
were  slain  in  the  front  of  the  fight,  and  Saul  himself  was  sorely 
wounded  by  an  arrow  hurled  into  his  doomed  body  from  one  of  the 
Philistines.  The  ill-fated  king  knew  his  army  was  powerless  and  that 
the  potent  enemy  was  master  of  the  situation.  He  at  the  same  time 
remembered  he  had  been  a  proud  and  victorious  king,  the  pride  of 
Israel  and  the  great  leader  of  a  hitherto  victorious  army  ;  and  the  very 
people  who  were  then  slaying  his  sous,  cutting  dow'n  his  army,  and 
had  sent  a  dart  of  death  into  his  own  body,  had  been  made  to  tremble 
and  flee  from  the  vengeance  of  his  sword  in  the  recent  past ;  then,  to 
be  captured  by  them,  and  be  compelled  to  bow  at  their  feet,  was  a 
matter  he  could  not  endure.  He  then  piteously  entreated  his  com- 
panion-in-arms to  kill  him  ;  but  he  sternly  refused  to  comply  with 
Saul's  petition.  Then  the  doomed  king  drew  his  own  sword,  fell  upon 
it  and  died. 

It  is  sadly  painful  to  be  compelled  to  record  the  fact  that  the  first 
king  of  Israel  committed  suicide.  His  head  was  severed  from  his  body, 
and  sent  with  his  armor  to  Philistia  as  a  signal  of  their  triumph,  and 
his  body  was  hung  upon  the  wall  of  Beth-shan,  on  the  west  of  the 


JEZREEL   AND  ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  307 

Jordan,  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  When 
the  tidings  of  Saul's  death  came  to  the  knowledge  of  David,  it  over- 
whelmed him.  Indeed  it  is  an  event  deserving  more  than  a  passing 
notice.  David's  most  relentless  enemy  was  King  Saul,  who  hunted 
him  with  his  heart  flooded  with  vengeance  and  would  have  murdered 
him  if  he  had  not  eluded  him  from  time  to  time;  yet  David  loved 
Saul  because  he  was  the  Lord's  anointed  and  would  not  injure  a  hair 
of  his  head.  It  was  also  known  to  David  that  he  was  to  succeed  him 
as  king  of  Israel,  but  he  was  not  anxious  that  that  monarch  should 
die,  that  he  might  control  the  nation.  The  extent  Saul's  death  affected 
David  should  increase  our  esteem  for  him,  so  as  to  hold  up  this  unpre- 
cedented example  to  every  young  aspirant  to  the  position  of  others, 
that  he  should  do  nothing  to  indicate  an  anxious  wish  to  step  in  the 
place  of  another  before  his  time  comes.  But  we  find  so  many  in 
our  times  seemingly  so  anxious  for  the  place  occupied  by  another, 
they  restlessly  wait  and  long  for  it  while  the  rightful  incumbent  is 
active.  But  David's  conduct  was  the  reverse  ;  for  he  wept  bitterly  and 
became  author  of  one  of  the  most  touching  funeral  dirges  ever  con- 
ceived by  man.  The  words  which  fell  from  his  lips,  when  informed  of 
Saul's  fate,  are  strikingly  sublime  and  touching.  David  was  aware 
the  Philistines  would  raise  a  tumultuous  shout  of  joy  when  the  news 
came  to  them  of  the  death  of  the  king  of  Israel,  and  the  triumph  of 
their  own  army.  "  Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  proclaim  it  not  in  Askelon, 
lest  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice  ;  lest  the  daughters  of  the 
uncircumcised  triumph,"  were  the  touching  words  of  the  son  of  Jesse. 
But  the  exultant  victory  of  the  Philistines  was  not  permanent.  The 
lost  cause  of  Saul  was  a  rebuke  from  the  Almighty  because  of  his 
waywardness ;  but  when  David  ascended  the  throne,  the  Philistines 
found  him  competent  to  withstand  them  ;  and  it  was  not  long  after  this 
young  man  was  acknowledged  king  of  Israel,  that  they  came  up 
against  him.  They  marched  to  the  southwest  of  Jerusalem,  and 
halted  in  the  plain  of  Raphaim ;  but  King  David  was  more  than 
a  match  for  them  ;  he  repulsed  them  and  finally  subdued  them,  so  that 
their  government  became  tributary  to  David.  Then  there  was  an  end 
to  hostilities  for  a  time  by  these  people  who  had  been  a  sore  plague  to 
the  children  of  Israel.  The  whole  narrative  of  the  memorable  battle 
between  the  Philistines  and  the  Hebrews,  can  be  drawn  before  the 
mind  like  a  panorama,  from  the  hill  on  which  ancient  Jezreel  stood. 
It  is  along  the  edge  of  the  plain,  and  one  may  station  himself  for  a 
while,  facing  the  north,  and  look  over  the  plain  toward  Shunem  where 
the  camp  of  the  Philistines  was  located  in  the  neck  of  the  valley,  and 


308  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

while  reading  the  history  of  the  battle,  can  almost  imagine  himself  in 
the  midst  of  the  real  scene.  Then  turning  towards  Gilboa,  he  can  see 
the  place  where  Saul  was  in  camp  with  his  timid  array,  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain.  It  appears  from  the  present  situation  of  the  place, 
Saul  made  a  blind  attempt  to  gain  the  heights  of  Gilboa ;  for  the 
Philistines  had  a  favorable  opportunity  to  capture  and  slay  him  as 
they  were  coming  from  Faku'a,  marching  along  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain. And  as  we  look  upon  this  memorable  battle-field,  high  upon 
Gilboa,  we  pause  and  ask  the  unanswerable  question,  Where  among 
these  mighty  rocks  did  Saul,  Israel's  first  king,  draw  his  own  sword  with 
a  quivering  hand,  and  then  with  all  the  force  of  his  death-stricken 
frame,  covered  with  his  own  blood,  rise  up,  fall  upon  it  and  die,  a 
self-murderer  ? 

Ancient  Jezreel,  called  by  the  natives  Zer'ain,  has  been  so  clearly 
identified  that  there  have  no  objections  appeared  as  to  its  certainty.  It 
is  said  there  are  but  few  places  in  Palestine  whose  original  site  is  so 
generally  agreed  to  as  Jezreel,  the  home  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel.  It  has 
been  minutely  defined  by  many  of  the  foremost  and  most  critical 
explorers  of  Palestine.  The  principal  mention  of  the  ancient  city  is 
largely  connected  with  the  life  and  character  of  the  cunning  Jezebel, 
and  her  barbarous  husband,  Ahab,  and  the  daring  Jehu,  the  son  of 
Nimshi.  The  present  village  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant  place  to  visit ; 
the  little  half-mud  huts  are  anything  but  tidy,  and  the  whole  place  is 
disorderly,  if  not  filthy.  I  would  have  refused  to  pass  through  its  nar- 
.row  and  crooked  lanes,  had  it  not  been  for  the  ancient  history  attaching 
to  it.  It  seems  that  the  whole  village  is  filled  with  beggars ;  and  just 
as  soon  as  a  stranger  enters  it,  they  come  out  of  their  little  huts,  like 
locusts  coming  out  of  the  ground.  Sometimes  twenty  or  thirty  chil- 
dren will  be  heard  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  "Backsheesh, 
backsheesh  ;  "  and  keep  the  strain  up  until  the  stranger  leaves  the  place, 
and  the  sound  is  lost  in  the  distance  behind  him.  It  was  a  great  relief 
and  pleasing  satisfaction  to  me  when  I  had  left  the  place  ;  for  I  was  not 
only  relieved  of  the  troublesome  beggars,  but  had  the  privilege  of 
inhaling  the  pure  air  once  more.  There  is  a  tall  house  in  the  centre  of 
the  village,  which  is  approached  by  passing  through  the  site  of  Naboth's 
vineyard ;  it  is  not  an  ancient  building,  though  it  bears  the  marks  of 
age.  It  is  the  general  opinion  that  this  house  stands  on  the  spot  of  the 
famous  watch-tower  of  Jezreel,  in  which  the  watchman  stood  when  he 
saw  Jehu  approaching  in  great  haste.  From  the  top  of  this  building 
a  splendid  view  may  be  obtained  of  the  valley  as  far  as  Beth-shan, 
on  the  southeastern  border  of  Galilee.    There  is  a  very  steep  pass  lead- 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  309 

ing  down  from  the  village  into  the  adjacent  valley  toward  the  east. 
Along  the  side  of  the  hill,  are  several  ancient  wine-presses  cut  in  the 
rock  ;  this  is  believed  to  be  the  plat  of  ground  known  as  Naboth's 
vineyard,  and  the  wine-presses  were  used  in  his  day,  and  probably 
hewn  out  by  his  own  hands.  A  little  north  of  the  village  is  a  fine  well 
at  which  the  maidens  of  Jezreel  maybe  seen  in  small  companies  await- 
ing their  turn  to  draw  water.  Another  remark  concerning  ancient 
Jezreel  may  be  in  place.  It  can  be  discerned  without  much  research, 
that  a  prominent  vein  of  Hamitic  influence  ran  through  both  Judah 
and  Israel  from  Solomon's  time  down  to  the  captivity.  The  latter 
married  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  kings  of  Egypt  who  greatly  influ- 
enced him  to  consent  to  the  toleration  of  idolatrous  worship,  which  was 
the  beginning  of  the  decline  and  ultimate  fall  of  the  chosen  people  ; 
for  this  state  of  things  continued  at  intervals  to  grow  in  popular  favor, 
until  the  daring  Jeroboam  became  the  acknowledged  head  of  the 
revolting  tribes  and  established  his  kingdom  upon  the  rotten  founda- 
tion of  idolatry,  with  Bethel  and  Dan  as  headquarters.  It  is  a  fact 
that  cannot  be  reasonably  denied,  that  these  giant  departures  from  God 
are  invariably  traced  to  the  immediate  or  remote  influence  of  tribes  or 
nations  not  of  the  household  of  Israel.  One  of  the  chief  ideas  for 
referring  to  this  state  of  things  among  the  children  of  Israel  is,  to  indi- 
cate the  fact  that  the  Hamitic  descendants  had  a  strong  grip  upon  the 
two  kingdoms.  This  matter  will  be  presented  in  another  page,  we 
hope,  so  clearly,  that  no  room  will  be  left  for  reasonable  dispute.  It  is 
marvelously  strange  that  the  people  of  antique  times  had  no  prejudice 
as  to  color  or  race,  but  recognized  man  as  man,  even  as  far  back  as  the 
beginning  of  civilization,  and  have  not  changed  their  faith  in  this 
regard  to  the  present ;  the  only  distinction  being  that  of  a  religious  or 
class  line,  which  is  the  same  among  all  of  whatever  complexion,  in  the 
old  world.  And  then  to  see  such  a  spirit  of  racial  distinction  in  a 
country  that  proudly  boasts  of  its  civilization  and  Christian  brotherhood, 
as  is  fostered  in  America,  shows  clearly  there  is  a  great  lack  of  the 
spirit  of  justice  existing  here,  and  that  those  who  profess  to  be  religious, 
are  as  largely  idolatrous  as  w'ere  the  Israelites  whom  they  pity.  They 
worshiped  gods  made  of  their  own  hands ;  but  the  dominant  race  of 
this  land  worship  their  complexion.     Which  is  the  greater  sin  ? 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note,  there  were  two  Jorams  or  Jerams  or 
Jehorams,as  the  name  has  been  pronounced  at  different  times;  both  of 
whom  were  blood  relatives  and  connected  with  the  two  kingdoms  by 
virtue  of  their  birth-right.  The  one  in  question  was  the  son  of  Ahab, 
king  of  Israel ;  the  other,  a  son  of  Jehoshaphat,  king  of  Judah.     This 


310  THE    [.AND  OF   PROMISE. 

latter  Joram  married  Athaliah,  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel ;  there- 
fore, their  son  Ahaziah  was  a  nephew  of  Joram,  king  of  Israel,  and 
were  contemporaneous  monarchs  over  the  southern  and  northern  king- 
doms. When  Ahaziah  learned  of  the  illness  of  his  uncle  Joram,  he 
went  over  to  Jezreel  to  see  him.  which  happened  to  be  about  the  time 
the  young  man  sent  by  Elisha  was  anointing  Jehu  to  be  the  tenth  king 
of  Israel.  He  was  an  admirer  of  the  administration  of  the  house  of 
Ahab,  and  followed  it  as  did  his  father  Joram  in  the  house  of  Judah. 
But  he  was  permitted  to  rule  the  kingdoms  but  one  year,  before  he 
came  to  an  untimely  death  by  order  of  Jehu.  It  may,  therefore,  be 
reasonably  inferred  that  both  the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel  were 
largely  controlled  by  Phoenician  influence.  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of 
the  king  of  Sidon,  held  for  many  years  the  ruling  sway  over  the 
northern  kingdom,  for  it  seems  as  if  Ahab,  her  husband,  became  so 
completely  wound  up  in  the  net  of  her  cunning  schemes,  he  did  all  she 
desired.  It  was  through  her  persuasions,  the  groves  were  arranged  at 
Jezreel  and  the  altars  were  built  to  Astarte,  at  which  four  hundred 
priests  officiated,  and  her  daughter  Athaliah,  who  was  the  wife  of 
Joram,  king  of  Judah,  followed  as  near  as  possible  the  footsteps  of  her 
mother,  who  was  living  at  the  same  time  in  Jezreel,  and  was  untiring 
in  her  efforts  to  add  to  the  strength  she  possessed  over  the  kingdom  of 
Judah,  to  bring  it  into  political  and  religious  harmony  with  that  of 
Israel.  If  we  consider  the  laws  that  led  to  the  assassination  of  Naboth 
we  cannot  fail  to  see  that  Ahab  was  a  selfish,  covetous  and  dishonora- 
ble man ;  and  that  Jezebel  was  a  cunning,  shrewd  and  a  daringly 
adventurous  woman.  She  was  ever  ready  to  plan  and  formulate  deep 
schemes  for  the  successful  accomplishment  of  any  issue  that  gave  her 
much  concern.  Ahab,  in  his  desire  for  gains,  was  not  content  with  the 
enjoyment  of  his  beautiful  palace  and  the  general  comforts  with  which 
he  was  surrounded  ;  his  parks  and  gardens  were  of  the  most  spacious 
and  fascinating  character,  all  of  which  were  attached  to  his  family 
palace,  to  embellish  and  make  it  a  lovely  paradise.  But  his  envious 
and  greedy  disposition  caused  him  to  long  for  a  plot  of  ground  belong- 
ing to  Naboth,  the  Jezreelite,  in  which  were  a  wine-press  and  vineyard. 
Ahab  requested  the  owner  to  let  him  have  the  plot,  saying  he  wanted 
it  for  a  garden  of  herbs.  But  Naboth  would  not  consent  to  the  propo- 
sition of  Ahab,  because  the  land  in  question  was  bequeathed  to  him  by 
his  father  and  kept  as  a  sacred  memorial  of  him.  The  king,  seeing  he 
could  not  persuade  his  neighbor  to  part  with  his  cherished  possession, 
went  to  his  palace  with  bowed  head  and  (pretendingly)  a  heavy  heart 
Such  was  the  sad  expression  of  his  countenance,  the  curiosity  of  Jezebel 


JEZREEL   AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  311 

was  greatly  aroused,  who  seenied  to  have  a  balm  for  all  her  hu.sband's 
wounds  and  a  remedy  for  every  fear. 

To  express  the  depth  of  his  trouble  Ahab  went  to  bed,  turned  his 
face  to  the  wall  and  i-efused  to  eat  bread,  because  of  the  grief  he  suf- 
fered from  the  disappointment  caused  by  Naboth's  refusal.  When 
Jezebel  entered  the  room  and  found  her  husband  in  such  deep  distress 
she  became  alarmed,  and  when  she  learned  the  cause  of  his  discomfort 
she  urged  him  to  eat  bread  and  be  merry,  for  she  would  see  that  his 
desire  should  be  obtained.  She  then  ordered  a  feast  to  be  made  ready, 
to  which  Naboth  should  be  invited,  and  at  which  time  men  were  to  stand 
ready  to  stone  him  to  death.  The  order  was  carefully  observed.  The 
charge  against  him  was  that  he  had  sinned  against  God  and  the  king. 
After  the  tragedy,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  Naboth,  Jezebel  went 
to  Ahab,  who  was  pretending  to  be  grieved  because  he  had  not  gained 
consent  to  take  the  property  he  so  greatly  coveted,  and  said  to  him, 
"  Rise  and  go^,  take  possession  of  the  vineyard."  In  compliance  with 
the  ill-advice  of  the  cunning  woman.  King  Ahab  went  and  seized  it. 
And  while  there,  feeling  jubilant  over  the  accomplishment  of  his  aim, 
Elijah,  the  prophet,  met  him  with  a  message  from  God.  When  Ahab 
saw  Elijah  he  said  to  him.  '•  Hast  thou  found  me,  O  mine  enemy?" 
"  I  have  found  thee,"  said  the  man  of  God.  He  then  pronounced  the 
fate  of  Ahab,  of  Jezebel,  and  the  entire  royal  house,  telling  him  not 
one  of  them  should  be  left,  and  that  upon  the  same  ground  where  the 
dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth,  should  dogs  lick  his  blood.  When 
Ahab  heard  this  doleful  message  he  came  to  himself,  but  it  was  too 
late  ;  his  doom  was  fixed,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  had  declared  it, 
and  the  whole  calamity  came  to  pass.  The  next  place  of  importance 
is  Shunem,  about  three  miles  north  of  Jezreel.  There  is  nothing  an- 
tique to  be  seen  in  the  village,  and  therefore  no  halt  is  made  there, 
except  it  is  for  luncheon.  It  is  likely  there  would  have  been  no  men- 
tion made  of  it  had  not  Elisha,  the  prophet,  been  so  kindly  cared  for 
by  the  Shunammite  woman.  It  is  also  a  satisfaction  to  travelers  to  look 
over  the  plain  westward  and  take  an  observation  of  the  route  the  poor, 
distressed  woman  took  when  she  went  with  great  haste  to  Elisha  on 
Mount  Carmel,  to  consult  him  about  the  death  of  her  only  child.  There 
are  a  cluster  of  villages  and  other  places  of  historic  interest  situated  at 
short  distances  in  the  vicinity  of  Shunem.  To  the  northeast  about 
three  miles,  upon  the  margin  of  Little  Hermon,  Nain  is  situated.  It 
is  a  very  small  village,  bearing  no  signs  of  importance  whatever,  and 
would  be  passed  unnoticed,  as  many  other  places  are,  were  it  not  for 
the  miracle  which  our  Lord  performed  the  day  He  made  a  \'isit  there. 


312  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

This  present  little  village  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  town  in  the 
time  of  our  Lord,  near  the  gate  of  which  He  performed  one  of  His 
greatest  miracles.  He  met  the  funeral  of  a  young  man  who  was  the 
only  child  of  a  widow  ;  he  was  her  only  supj^ort.  Christ  caused  the 
bearers  of  the  dead  to  halt,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  man  who  was 
being  carried  to  the  tomb,  was  restored  alive  to  his  mother.  It  is  note- 
worthy that  the  number  of  persons  our  Lord  restored  to  life  accords 
exactly  with  the  number  of  days  He  suffered  himself  to  be  under  the 
dominion  of  death.  He  raised  three  persons  to  life,  and  He  came 
forth  from  the  gates  of  death  on  the  third  day.  There  is  a  small 
mosque  at  the  edge  of  the  village,  standing  on  the  spot  designated  by 
tradition  as  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  miracle,  and  is  known  as  the 
"  Shrine  of  Christ."  Very  early  in  our  era  a  Christian  chapel  stood 
upon  the  same  site,  and  it  is  supposed,  the  title  of  the  mosque  is  the 
name  by  which  the  original  chapel  was  known.  (1  Kings  xx.  1-23.) 
An  opinion  has  been  advanced  that  Nain  was  not  a  walled  town,  as 
there  have  been  found  no  traces  of  its  ancient  foundations  by  those  who 
have  made  investigations,  as  is  usual  in  many  cases.  But  there  are 
two  things  that  would  incline  us  to  believe  the  opinion  is  not  well 
founded. 

It  should  be  considered,  in  the  first  place,  that  if  it  was  unprotected 
by  walls,  it  would  have  been  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being  taken  at 
any  moment  by  foes,  who  were  prowling  like  wild  beasts  through  the 
land,  hunting  prey,  and  the  people  living  in  the  various  towns  and 
cities  in  Palestine  did  not  fail  to  protect  themselves  in  the  surest  pos- 
sible way,  especially  with  walls  and  gates.  Therefore  it  is  not  likely 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Nain  would  content  themselves  to  live  in  an 
unprotected  town,  under  a  thousand  liabilities  to  hostile  attacks,  when 
they  had  ample  means  and  opportunity  to  secure  themselves  as  other 
places  were,  against  the  entrance  of  those  who  sought  their  discomfort. 
Secondly,  it  is  plainly  stated  in  the  Bible  concerning  the  visit  of  our 
Lord  there,  "  When  He  drew  near  the  gate  of  the  city."  This  is  a  clear 
evidence,  the  city  had  one  gate  at  least,  and  without  a  wall  it  would 
have  been  but  mockery.  It  is  also  known  that  the  people  in  those 
days  did  not  build  ordinary  fences,  and  the  gate  must  have  been  placed 
there  to  pass  in  and  out  of,  because  the  little  city  was  surrounded  by  a 
wall.  The  town  is  small  and  uninviting,  as  are  nearly  all  the  villages 
in  the  interior.  But  it  gives  the  Christian  traveler  supreme  consola- 
tion, to  make  a  visit  there  and  other  places  of  sacred  memory,  because 
the  same  road  was  marked  by  the  feet  of  our  Lord  while  going  about 
doing  good.     On  entering  the  road  to  Nain  new  thoughts  enter  one's 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  313 

mind,  and  a  change  naturally  takes  possession  of  a  traveler's  feelings, 
he  having  for  several  days  been  busy  with  the  scenes  of  the  idolatrous 
tendencies  of  Israel,  and  the  many  chastisements  God  gave  them,  and 
the  wars  they  had  with  foes  without  and  within,  a'l  have  a  tendency 
to  make  one  feel  gloomy  and  wish  for  a  change.  Then  having  so  sud- 
denly entered  upon  another  scene  so  very  touching  and  cheering  as 
the  mission  of  Christ  to  little  Nain,  it  seems  to  one  as  though  he  had 
been  transported  from  a  dark,  dreary,  monotonous  land  to  one  full  of 
beauty  and  pleasure.  It  certainly  is  a  change  from  a  sad  and  unen- 
viable state  of  mind  to  one  that  is  full  of  good  cheer.  And  although 
the  foot-prints  of  our  Lord  cannot  be  traced,  we  know  He  came  over 
this  plain  and  visited  a  little  city  called  Nain,  on  the  eastern  side,  and 
did  a  work  of  love  that  hushed  the  noise  of  lamentation,  checked  the 
flow  of  a  widowed  mother's  tears,  and  made  a  multitude  of  poor  weep- 
ing ones  jubilant  over  the  restoration  to  life  of  a  young  man,  whom 
they  were  about  to  lay  in  the  tomb.  Indeed,  he  was  known  to  travel 
many  times  over  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  a  little  to  the  west  of  Nain,  so 
the  place  was  familiar  to  Jesus  and  His  disciples  There  seems  to  be 
no  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the  place  as  being  the  site  of  ancient 
Nain.  Our  Lord  had  been  in  Capernaum,  attending  His  mission  and 
healing  many  who  came  to  Him  from  afar.  But  He  suddenly  left 
them  and  came  to  Nain,  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles,  and  just 
reached  the  gate  in  time  on  the  next  day  to  perform  a  most  stupendous 
work.  We  venture  the  opinion  that  our  Lord  came  up  to  this  little 
border  city  of  Esdraelon,  especially  to  perform  the  miracle  of  life-giv- 
ing. What  a  tremendous  excitement  must  have  prevailed  when  the 
dead  man  was  restored  to  life  and  to  his  weeping  mother !  Those  walking 
in  the  procession  did  not  pay  special  attention  to  the  man  approach- 
ing the  gate,  but  when  He  had  made  them  astonished,  every  one 
wanted  to  see  Him.  It  is  likely  some  of  those  attending  the  funeral 
were  from  Nazareth,  and  knew  Jesus  as  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary, 
but  not  as  "  the  Mighty  God,"  for  the  two  cities  were  only  about  four 
miles  apart,  and  the  inhabitants  were  often  going  to  and  from  them. 
(Luke  vii.  11-18).  It  is  certain  they  had  heard  of  Jesus;  the  fame 
of  His  miracles  had  spread  over  the  land.  Not  far  from  Nain  was 
another  small  village  prominently  mentioned  in  the  Bible  in  connec- 
tion with  King  Saul's  nocturnal  visit.  This  is  Endor,  where  the  famous 
witch  lived,  whom  he  sought  in  the  time  of  his  grief. 

When  the  allotments  were  apportioned,  Endor  fell  to  Manasseh, 
and  was  a  flourishing  place  as  late  as  the  time  of  Eusebius.  But  noth- 
ing remains  there  now  to  attract  any  one,  except  the  caves  in  the  hill- 


314  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

side ;  the  curiously  shaped  one  near  the  village  is  supposed  to  be  the 
one  in  which  the  witch  lived.  The  country  round  about  presents  a 
beautiful  appearance  as  far  as  one  can  see.  The  soil  of  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most  productive  in  Palestine.  The 
shepherds  and  wandering  Arabs  take  advantage  of  the  beautiful  pas- 
tures, and  hundreds  visit  them  daily  with  their  flocks.  If  the  hus- 
bandmen were  adapted  to  the  modern  customs  of  farming,  the  products 
of  the  plain  would  be  at  least  ninety  per  cent,  more  abundant.  But 
they  do  not  seem  to  care  for  the  general  cultivation  of  this  most  fruit- 
ful tract  of  country  (1  Sam.  xxviii.  7-25),  and  content  themselves  with 
tilling  it  in  small  patches.  The  half-wild  Arabs,  who  migrate  from 
place  to  place,  make  this  plain  one  of  their  most  favorite  resorts. 
They  take  their  herds,  tents  and  families,  with  all  their  possessions,  and 
camp  there  for  weeks,  and  often  for  months,  seeking  the  pastures  for 
their  herds  by  day,  and  at  the  same  time  watch  for  an  opportunity  to 
plunder  by  night.  It  is  not  infrequently  the  case  that  they  commit 
these  depredations  in  the  open  day  whenever  the  slightest  opportunity 
is  presented.  They  have  been  known  to  hotly  pursue  travelers  on 
several  occasions,  before  the  government  of  Turkey  placed  guards 
through  the  country,  to  give  strangers  the  much-needed  protection  now 
given  them. 

Sometimes,  persons  going  from  Shunem  to  Carmel  and  from  Jezreel 
to  Tiberias  have  been  compelled  to  escape  for  their  lives.  The  matter 
became  so  alarming  that  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  has  caused  a  military 
force  to  patrol  the  country,  so  that  travelers  may  be  permitted  to  pass 
through  safely,  and  that  farmers  may  be  encouraged  to  pursue  their 
work  without  entertaining  fears  of  being  deprived  of  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  their  labor  at  the  time  of  harvest;  for  the  native  husbandmen  have 
not  escaped  (in  many  cases)  the  murderous  intrusions  of  the  Bedouin 
highwaymen,  who  would  kill  them  for  the  purpose  of  plunder  just  as 
readily  as  if  they  were  foreigners.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
those  husbandmen  sowed  in  tears,  not  knowing  whether  they  W'Ould  be 
permitted  to  reap  what  they  so  earnestly  labored  for.  But  we  think 
the  days  of  these  outlaws  are  passed,  and  a  more  healthy  state  of  things 
exists. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  plain  was  in  the  bounds  of  the  territory 
allotted  to  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  who  seem  to  have  been  a  people  not 
very  much  noted  for  bravery,  but  were  quiet  and  passive,  disposed  rather 
to  suffer  intrusion  than  stand  out  boldly  for  their  rights.  This  feature 
of  their  character  is  demonstrated  by  their  humble  submission  to  the 
Canaanites  of  the  adjacent  towns  and  cities,  especially  the  Phoenicians 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS   ENVIKONMENTS.  315 

along  the  sea-coast  between  the  Ladder  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  It  is  said 
that  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  or  a  goodly  number  of  them,  were  not  only 
the  burden-bearers  of  the  Canaanites,  but  were  in  a  serai-slavisli  state, 
and  were  content  in  having  a  menial  relation  to  them,  their  occupation 
being  such  as  mule-drivers,  wood-choppers,  and  the  general  handy- 
fellow.  Their  situation  accoi'ded  exactly  with  the  prophecy  of  Jacob 
concerning  them,  when  about  to  die  :  "  Issachar  is  a  strong  ass  ci'ouch- 
ing  down  between  two  burdens  ;  and  he  saw  that  rest  was  good  ;  and 
the  land,  that  it  was  pleasant ;  and  bowed  his  shoulders  to  bear,  and 
became  a  servant  to  tribute."  It  is  proper  to  remark  at  this  point  that 
it  would  be  well  for  those  who  believe  and  teach  the  doctrine,  that  the 
curse  pronounced  upon  Canaan,  was  to  continue  down  the  line  to  all 
the  descendants  of  Ham,  and  that  his  progeny  have  no  higher  calling 
than  that  of  menials,  to  consider  this  fact,  that  the  very  people  who 
they  say  are  to  be  kept  down  and  deprived  of  an  opportunity  to  de- 
monstrate their  manhood  as  others,  were  the  masters  of  those  who 
they  say  are  divinely  set  apart  to  rule,  and  their  will  was  submitted  to 
with  hiimble  obedience. 

Those  Canaanites,  whose  ancestor  was  Ham,  and  who  were  more 
the  typical  Hamite  by  far  than  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  colored  popula- 
tion of  America,  were  of  the  direct  class  these  false  teachers  would 
have  the  world  believe,  were  born  under  the  curse  of  the  Almighty, 
and  that  Shem  and  Japheth  are  appointed  to  execute  it  throughout  all 
generations.  The  above  is  but  one  of  the  many  proofs  of  the  down- 
right absurdity  of  the  damaging  doctrine  so  earnestly  taught  by  those 
whose  blindness  have  hidden  "  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  "  from  them. 
"  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. "  The  very  foundation  of  the  northern 
kingdom  was  built  upon  elastic  premises,  and,  therefore,  was  unstable 
from  the  day  Jeroboam  was  proclaimed  king  to  the  lamentable  day 
when  Hoshea,  the  last  king,  being  overpowered  by  Shalmaneser,  king 
of  Assyria,  carried  him  and  his  subjects  into  captivity.  There  was 
a  constant  tendency  among  the  people  to  emerge  into  the  darkest 
shades  of  idolatry,  so  that  when  Ahab,  the  seventh  king,  ruled  Israel, 
the  people  had  so  generally  given  themselves  up  to  idol  worship,  there 
could  be  found  of  the  vast  number  comprising  the  population,  but 
seven  thousand  who  had  not  bowed  their  knee  to  Baal. 

This  is  the  number  the  Lord  informed  Elijah  had  been  preserved 
from  the  seductions  of  the  established  idolatry  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 
There  seem  to  have  been  two  modes  of  making  proselytes  to  Baal 
adopted  by  Ahab  and  Jezebel :  one  was  seduction  and  the  other  intimi- 
dation.    When  favors  were  to  be  granted,  personal  and  otherwise,  the 


316  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

recipients  would  be  those  who  had  become  Baalites  ;  and  as  there  were 
many  positions  of  honor  at  the  disposal  of  the  king,  and  men  were  in 
those  days,  as  at  present,  eager  to  become  the  honored  incumbent  of  an 
office  of  high  trust  in  the  government,  they  would  go  over  to  Baal 
simply  for  the  sake  of  an  official  position,  or  indulging  the  hope  of 
obtaining  one.  Those  who  would  not  be  induced  by  these  and  other 
seductive  allurements  were  doomed  to  death.  Such  was  the  wholesale 
slaughtering  of  those  who  were  strongly  inclined  to  the  worship  of 
the  God  of  their  fathers,  that  Elijah  was  of  the  opinion,  when  the 
Lord  called  him  from  his  rocky  retreat  at  Mt.  Horeb,  he  was  the  only 
one  left  who  had  escaped  Jezebel's  murderous  hand. 

Jezreel  and  Samaria  were  dotted  with  idolatrous  priests,  four  hun- 
dred of  whom  were  chosen  to  officiate  in  the  former  city,  and  four 
hundred  and  fifty  in  the  latter  ;  their  altars  were  constantly  blazing 
with  sacrificial  fires,  and  the  lower  atmosphere  was  darkened  with 
smoke.  The  name  of  the  great  idol  was  sacredly  adored,  and  devoutly 
praised  by  multitudes  who  had  forsaken  the  Lord.  Notwithstanding 
the  tendencies  of  man  are  evil,  and  the  Hebrews  were  surrounded  by 
idolatrous  tribes  and  nations  whose  examples  were  of  the  most  degrad- 
ing nature,  there  is  no  excuse  for  their  wilful  departure  from  the  God 
of  their  fathers,  knowing,  as  they  did,  the  wonderful  things  He  had 
done,  both  in  delivering  them  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt  and  sus- 
taining them  during  the  many  years  of  their  national  independence. 
The  Lord  intended  these  people  should  have  a  religious  government, 
or  one  in  which  the  light  of  the  true  God  should  flame  so  brilliantly 
that  the  heathen  about  them  might  be  persuaded  to  adopt  their  wor- 
ship and  become  admirers  and  servants  of  the  God  of  heaven ;  but  we 
find  Israel  just  as  eager  to  depart  from  God  and  wholly  abjure  His 
worship,  as  were  the  idol-worshipers  who  never  knew  Him  as  such. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  trouble  for  Jeroboam  to  establish  his 
calf-worship  among  the  people  ;  they  took  hold  of  it  with  a  greediness 
that  was  hard  to  satisfy.  Israel  may  be  compared  to  a  young  person, 
or  a  youth  cautiously  trained,  and  who  is  surrounded  by  others  who 
have  been  given  a  wider  privilege,  so  that  they  do  as  suits  them  best. 
The  youth  who  has  been  carefully  disciplined,  seeing  the  wide  scope  of 
liberty  seemingly  enjoyed  by  those  in  his  neighborhood,  becomes  dis- 
satisfied with  the  rule  of  his  own  parents  and  seeks  to  break  them  down 
and  follow  the  example  of  those  whose  restraints  are  very  meagre.  He 
begins  to  extend  his  privileges  little  by  little,  until  he  finds  himself 
indulging  in  whatsoever  he  wishes,  and  only  finds  out  the  danger  of 
his  course  when  it  is  too  late  to  redeem   himself.     This  is  about  the 


JEZREEL   AND    ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  317 

status  of  Israel.  They  felt  that  the  laws  of  God  were  too  exacting ; 
that  they  were  kept  in  a  position  which  cut  them  off  from  those  enjoy- 
ments others  indulged  in,  and  hence  they  longed  to  abjure  the  law  of 
the  Lord  and  become  their  own  keepers.  This  tendency  was  fostered 
in  Samuel's  time,  and  was  often  rebuked  by  him,  for  he  did  not  fail  to 
tell  the  people  of  the  calamity  that  would  follow  such  conduct.  But 
their  evil  passions  seem  to  have  mastered  their  judgment,  so  that  they 
would  not  be  admonished. 

It  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  years  from  the  time  Saul  of 
Benjamin  was  anointed  king  at  Raraah  by  Samuel,  to  the  time  of 
the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes,  when  Jeroboam  was  installed  king.  Under 
this  monarch  the  long-sought  opportunity  to  indulge  in  open  idolatry, 
without  lawful  restraints  was  accorded  to  all  who  desired  it,  and  from 
that  day  the  Israelites  went  into  deeper  sins,  until  their  desire  for  the 
worship  of  the  true  God  became  a  thing  of  the  past.  So  that  when 
Ahab  was  made  king,  fifty-six  years  from  the  time  Jeroboam  took  the 
sceptre,  the  people  had  gone  so  far  from  the  God  of  their  fathers  (with 
few  exceptions),  they  were  ready  to  do  anything  that  might  be  sug- 
gested by  their  ruler.  Ahab  has  the  reputation  of  being  the  most 
wicked  and  daring  king  of  the  six  preceding  him  ;  and  finding  the 
subjects  of  his  kingdom  completely  in  his  hands,  he  ventured  to  go 
farther  into  idolatry  than  even  Jeroboam,  who  practically  established 
it.  Most  authors  seem  to  be  in  sympathy  with  Ahab,  and  even 
apologize  for  his  conduct  by  charging  Jezebel,  the  Phoenician  princess^ 
with  influencing  his  course  of  procedure.  This  seems  to  be  a  strange 
apology,  one  having  no  more  force  than  that  made  by  Adam,  as  a  reason 
for  violating  the  command  of  the  Lord,  when,  to  satisfy  his  disobedient 
inclination,  he  took  the  fruit  from  the  hand  of  his  wife  and  ate  it. 

Men  who  send  out  their  thoughts  to  the  world  for  its  enlighten- 
ment, ought  to  clothe  every  idea  with  candor  perfectly  free  from  bias. 
It  is  a  fact  known  to  the  world  that  Ahab  was  king,  and  as  such  held 
the  sceptre  of  power  in  his  own  hand,  or  had  the  authority  to  do  so. 
He  was  not  a  feeble-minded  man,  as  some  authors  would  have  us 
believe  he  was,  from  the  manner  in  which  they  record  his  life ;  but  a 
sturdy,  brave  and  daring  man,  full  of  ambition,  pride,  covetousness 
and  vanity,  caring  for  none  but  himself  and  household  any  farther  than 
to  serve  some  personal  end  in  view.  He  was  also  the  husband  of  Jez- 
ebel, and  was  to  some  extent,  by  human  and  divine  law,  a  king  or 
double  ruler  over  her ;  first  as  husband,  and  second  as  monarch  of  the 
kingdom  in  which  she  was  living.  Therefore  Ahab's  malicious  con- 
duct was  the  outgrowth  of  his  own  diabolical  inclinations,  intensified 


318  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

by  au  insatiable  disposition  to  be  regarded  the  greatest  man  on  earth. 
Jezebel  was  equally  anxious  for  his  success  in  the  direction  he  aimed ; 
she,  therefore,  put  almost  an  endless  number  of  plans  in  motion  to 
accomplish  it,  and  having  been  reared  amid  heathen  influences  and  by 
parents  who  were  fervent  adherents  of  Baal,  it  cannot  be  expected  she 
would  incline  to  any  religion  except  that  taught  her  from  babyhood, 
especially  when  her  husband  was  willing  to  abandon  the  God  of  his 
fathers  and  those  ordained  by  Jeroboam  to  adopt  the  religion  of  the 
Phcenicians. 

The  fact  seems  clear  to  my  mind  that  Ahab  was  the  worst  of  the 
two,  according  to  the  opportunities  each  had  in  life  to  know  the  true 
God.  It  does,  therefore,  seem  unjust  that  the  malicious  conduct  of 
Ahab  should  be  charged  to  Jezebel,  his  Hamite  wife,  but  on  the  other 
hand  her  husband,  who  was  the  acknowledged  sovereign  of  Israel,  was 
guilty  of  allowing  his  wife  too  much  ruling  authority,  which  was  many 
times  the  cause  of  much  trouble.  The  northern  kingdom  was  ripe 
with  idolatry,  when  Ahab  ascended  the  throne,  for  the  calf-worship  had 
gained  strong  hold  on  the  people  in  the  fifty -six  years  of  its  establish- 
ment, and  the  future  outlook  had  become  alarming,  so  much  so,  that 
God  raised  special  messengers  to  warn  the  king  and  subjects,  from 
time  to  time,  of  the  pending  calamities  with  which  they  would  be 
plagued  on  account  of  their  rebellion  against  Him. 

There  had  been  several  prophets  in  Israel  from  the  time  Jeroboam 
expelled  the  priests  and  Levites  to  the  occasion  of  Ahab's  accession  to 
the  throne,  but  none  of  them  were  endowed  with  the  characteristics  of 
Elijah.  It  became  necessary  for  God  to  raise  up  a  host  of  these  special 
agents,  from  time  to  time,  to  admonish  Israel  and  declare  His  judg- 
ments. Many  of  them  were  bold,  stern  and  faithful  men,  going 
through  the  land,  prefixing  their  message  with  the  words,  '•  Thus  saith 
the  Lord."  Many  times  it  was  one  of  death,  but  they  declared  it  with 
the  same  boldness  they  did  those  that  delighted  the  receiver.  Their 
authority  was  generally  recognized,  and  what  they  declared  was  confi- 
dently expected,  whether  to  an  individual  or  to  the  nation. 

These  prophets  were  not  looked  upon  as  leaders  of  the  people  politi- 
cally, or  rulers,  nor  did  they  so  regard  themselves ;  they  were  not 
consecrated  priests  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word,  therefore  they 
did  not  attempt  to  ofliciate  at  the  altars  as  such,  but  they  were  persons 
chosen  from  the  people  of  whatever  tribe  the  Lord  selected  them,  with- 
out respect  to  priestly  descendants.  Yet  there  were  times  when  a 
prophet  seemed  to  rank  above  both  priest  and  king,  for  both  of  these 
functionaries  were  often  confronted  by  them  with  a  message  from  God 


JEZREEL  AND   ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  319 

to  which  they  would  listen  auJ  respect.  Not  a  few  limes  these  mys- 
terious messengers  would  be  sent  to  the  chief  officials  of  the  country, 
both  religious  and  political,  to  denounce  their  conduct,  without  being 
interfered  with ;  sometimes  they  would  speak  most  bitterly  against 
king,  priests  and  people,  and  yet  their  authority  would  not  be  ques- 
tioned, although  the  parties  concerned  would  at  times  become  enraged. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  these  messengers  of  the  Lord  were  sus- 
tained by  Him,  to  the  extent  that  their  enemies  became  powerless  when 
listening  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  sent  to  them.  That  the  prophets 
were  specially  constituted  by  God,  cannot  be  consistently  doubted.  It 
is  a  known  fact  that  what  they  said  was  fulfilled  exactly  according  to 
the  time  they  predicted,  and  much  of  their  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled 
in  our  time,  and  is  yet  being  accomplished  in  every  age. 

Let  us  consider  the  call  of  Jeremiah,  for  example.  "  The  word  of 
the  Lord  came  to  me  saying,  '  Before  I  formed  thee  in  the  womb  I 
knew  thee ;  and  before  thou  camest  forth  I  sanctified  thee  and  ordained 
thee  to  be  a  prophet  unto  the  nation.'"  Then  said  I,  "Oh!  Lord, 
behold  I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am  a  child  ;  but  the  Lord  said  unto  me. 
Say  not  that  I  am  a  child,  for  thou  shalt  go  unto  all  that  I  shall  send 
thee  ;  and  whatsoever  I  command  thee  thou  shalt  speak."  It  was 
likewise  with  Hosea,  Ezekiel  and  Amos  among  the  herdsmen.  The 
mysterious  voice  of  the  Lord  told  them  to  go,  and  they  promptly 
obeyed.  The  first  class,  as  we  have  designated  them,  were  the  most 
notable.  They  were  as  a  rule  bold,  fearless  and  pointed  in  their 
addresses,  regardless  of  smiles  or  frowns.  Our  imagination  can  draw 
the  appearance  of  one  of  these  wonderful  men  before  us.  AVe  see  him 
with  rugged  countenance,  flowing  hair,  stern  voice,  clothed  with  the 
skin  of  beasts,  or  in  garb  worn  by  the  peasantry,  and  with  keen  eyes 
flashing — as  it  were  — the  message  of  their  mission.  Sometimes  they 
appear  suddenly  in  the  presence  of  a  rabble  multitude,  at  the  door  of 
the  temple,  or  in  the  presence  of  a  king,  or  meet  some  one  while  on  a 
journey  to  do  some  act  highly  oflensive  to  the  Lord,  and,  with  a  thun- 
der-like voice,  pronounce  a  doleful  message  from  God  to  them,  and 
and  then  disappear  as  mysteriously  as  they  came.  And  if,  in  our  day, 
one  of  those  inspired  messengers  should  appear  in  a  church  congregation 
some  Sunday  morning,  just  as  the  people  were  about  to  engage  in  their 
formal  worship,  and  should  suddenly  pronounce  words  of  condemnation 
against  those  who  came  with  but  a  form  of  Godliness,  and  were  he  to 
single  them  out  one  by  one,  telling  them.  You  draw  nigh  to  God  with 
your  lips,  but  your  hearts  are  far  from  Him  ;  and  suppose  he  should 
tell  them  of  their  unchristian  discriminations,  of  the  contempt  with 


320  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

which  they  look  upon  the  poor,  of  the  bitterness  they  entertain  against 
those  whom  God  in  His  wisdom  has  permitted  to  be  born  with  a  darker 
complexion ;  and  should  he  sternly  rebuke  the  rich  for  oppressing  and 
grinding  the  life  out  of  the  poor,  by  refusing  to  reward  them  properly 
for  services  rendered,  and  tell  in  detail,  in  words  that  could  be  distinctly 
understood,  of  all  the  inhuman  deeds  committed  against  those  who 
could  not  defend  themselves,  what  would  be  the  result  of  such  a  mes- 
sage ? 

It  seems  to  me  that  if  an  earthquake  of  extraordinary  force  should 
occur,  it  would  not  produce  a  greater  consternation.  And  what  would  the 
minister  think  of  his  course  of  procedure,  who  attempts  to  declare  the 
word  of  God  to  the  people  and  so  arrange  his  subject  as  to  evade  the 
duty  of  pointing  out  their  wrongs?  I  imagine  there  would  be  such  a 
stir,  with  both  pastor  and  people,  they  would  go  down  in  the  dust  of 
humility  and  cry  against  themselves.  It  is  also  known  the  prophets 
were  often  abused  and  even  murdered.  In  one  period  of  Elijah's  time 
the  persecution  of  these  servants  of  God  became  so  great  many  were 
slain,  others  were  faint-hearted,  being  overcome  with  fear,  for  they  were 
all  doomed  to  death.  It  would  seem  there  were  two  classes  of  prophets  ; 
one,  those  who  were  moved  by  the  Spirit  to  go  forth  bearing  messages 
without  having  passed  through  the  preparatory  schools ;  some  were 
without  the  meager  education  the  ordinary  people  were  taught;  indeed, 
it  might  be  said,  many  were  without  any  knowledge  of  letters,  but 
God  took  them  up  and  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  an  unlearned 
man's  powers  to  accurately  comprehend  and  declare  future  events 
through  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  work  of  this  class  was 
somewhat  peculiar.  They  wrote  and  posted  no  messages  along  the 
highways  to  be  read  by  those  passing  through  the  land,  but  delivered 
them  to  the  person  or  persons  concerned  face  to  face,  except  in  a  few 
instances  when  one  was  sent  to  perform  a  work  in  their  stead,  as  was 
the  case  when  Jehu  was  anointed  to  be  the  tenth  king  of  Israel. 

Sometimes  the  work  of  these  prophets  was  confined  to  a  single  case, 
as  that  of  the  young  Levite  in  Jehoshaphat's  time,  when  a  confederate 
army  was  marching  against  Jerusalem.  The  other  class  were  those 
who  were  especially  trained  for  the  work  in  the  several  schools  which 
seem  to  have  originated  in  the  time  of  Samuel.  There  were  schools 
located  at  Gibeah,  Naioth,  Bethel,  Gilgal,  Jericho  and  Mt.  Carmel ; 
in  these,  young  men  were  carefully  trained  in  the  religion  of  the  He- 
brews, to  conduct  the  services  and  to  teach  the  people  the  will  of  God. 
These  doctrines  were  in  opposition  to  the  religion  established  upon  the 
rotten  foundation  of  idul  worship ;  therefore,  they  were  antagonized  by 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  321 

the  kings  and  other  authorities  who  followed  the  teachings  of  those 
whose  god  was  not  the  Lord.  This  class,  in  addition  to  their  teaching 
as  to  the  proper  and  only  true  worship,  would  write  messages  and  post 
them  along  the  public  highways  for  the  good  of  all  who  read  them. 
But  we  need  not  have  a  prophet  sent  to  warn  us  against  the  toleration 
and  practice  of  such  conduct.  One  has  been  here,  the  greatest  of  all 
prophets,  even  the  author  of  them,  whose  voice  can  be  heard  in  thun- 
der-tones by  all  who  will  give  attention.  He  has  had  our  duty,  which 
must  be  observed  by  all  generations,  plainly  recorded :  "  As  ye  would 
that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  also  unto  them." 

The  prophets  were  reformers  of  the  people ;  they  exerted  their  ut- 
termost powers  to  keep  them  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  but  many  living 
in  their  day  lost  sight  of  the  words  of  warning  until  it  was  too  late ; 
their  fate  came  finding  them  away  from  God.  It  is,  therefore,  easily 
discerned  who  were  the  divinely  appointed  men  and  who  were  false. 
The  words  of  the  self-constituted  prophets  died  with  them,  and  were 
buried  in  the  same  grave.  But  the  predictions  of  the  true  prophets 
(many  of  them)  are  with  us  to-day.  Their  prophecies  are  given  us  in 
detail  in  the  Scriptures  so  distinctly  that  evidences  of  their  fulfillment 
are  developed  in  numerous  instances  to  those  living  in  this  age,  which 
are  powerful  demonstrations  of  the  divine  authenticity  of  the  men  who 
uttered  the  predictions.  Every  one  who  reads  the  Holy  Scriptures 
cannot  fail  (if  he  takes  time  to  examine  them  carefully)  to  see  the 
prophecies  continue  through  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  em- 
bracing the  vast  extent  from  the  fall  of  man  to  the  end  of  time,  and 
that  at  first  they  were  delivered  at  long  intervals,  but  at  length  they 
became  more  frequent,  and  were  uniformly  ca'rried  on  in  the  line  of 
one  people,  the  seed  of  Abraham,  who  were  separated  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  to  be  the  unyielding  Avitnesses  of  the  true  God  and  the  custo- 
dians of  His  precious  oracles ;  and  that  with  some  intermission  the 
spirit  of  prophecy  continued  with  men  down  to  the  close  of  the  life  of 
Malachi. 

That  Jesus  and  His  apostles  exercised  the  same  power  in  the  most 
conspicuous  manner,  and  that  they  left  various  predictions  on  record  of 
a  most  sublime  and  glorious  character,  are  yet  to  be  developed,  but  are 
just  as  sure  to  be  accomplished  as  if  already  fulfilled,  for  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  them.  From  the  beginning  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel  to  the  end,  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  these  prophetic  re- 
formers constantly  engaged  in  urging  the  people  to  abandon  idolatry 
and  return  to  the  God  of  their  fathers ;  and  there  was  no  time  in  the 
history  of  this  people  when  they  needed  the  teachings  of  the  prophets 
21 


322  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

moi'e  than  when  Ahab  was  ruling.  As  has  been  intimated,  this  noto- 
riously wicked  king  ventured  beyond  the  limits  of  the  idol-worship 
established  by  Jeroboam  and  adopted  by  his  successors,  and  did  just 
what  his  evil  heart  inclined  to.  His  reign  over  Israel  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  for  idol  worship  in  the  annals  of  their  history.  He 
was  not  only  an  admirer  of  the  idolatrous  examples  of  Jeroboam,  but 
leaped  beyond  them,  and  planted  his  kingdom  in  the  very  heart  of  that 
practiced  by  the  heathen  or  that  so  fondly  adored  by  Ethbaal,  king  of 
Phcenicia  and  father  of  Jezebel. 

When  Jeroboam  established  the  calf  worship  it  was  more  intended 
as  a  state  religion  than  to  settle  down  in  idolatry.  That  is,  he  wished 
to  confine  his  subjects  within  the  bounds  of  the  northern  kingdom, 
and  thereby  lead  their  minds  from  the  worship  at  Jerusalem  It  was 
a  cunning  deception,  leading  the  people  to  believe  that  they  were 
paying  due  homage  to  the  Lord,  by  presenting  their  devotions  to  the 
images.  It  was  indeed  idolatry  in  disgui5;e;  and  the  entering  wedge 
which  sundered  the  people  from  the  God  of  their  fathers.  But  Ahab 
was  not  content  with  that  form  of  worship ;  he  seems  to  have  enter- 
tained an  opinion,  he  should  be  looked  upon  as  deity,  and  lost  no  time 
in  introducing  every  scheme  his  wicked  heart  could  conceive  to  bring 
about  the  result.  It  was  a  matter  of  impossibility  to  firmly  establish 
the  worship  of  Baal  (the  religion  his  wife  sacredly  adored  and  lent  her 
strongest  influence  to  establish  it  in  Israel),  and  hold  to  the  form 
adopted  by  Jeroboam,  and  greatly  admired  by  the  people.  He,  there- 
fore, caused  the  calf  worship  to  be  abolished,  and  planted  the  Baal 
worship  in  its  stead.  Then  the  new  idol  was  generally  endorsed  by 
the  state  and  adored  as  god.  The  kingdom  had  had  several  severe 
blows  from  its  own  hand,  but  this  was  the  most  serious  of  all.  It  was 
a  willful  departure  from  God,  and  a  wholesale  turning  over  to  Baal. 

During  their  fifty-six  years  of  calf  worship,  under  the  guise  of 
paying  devotions  to  the  God  of  their  fathers  through  them,  God  bore  it 
with  great  patience  and  chided  them  in  various  ways,  sending  prophets 
to  them,  who  in  ungaruished  terms  denounced  their  fostered  inclina- 
tions to  evil,  and  told  them  of  the  ultimate  end  of  their  conduct ;  but 
they  went  from  bad  to  worse,  until  they  compelled  the  Lord  to  with- 
draw His  hand  of  protection  from  them  and  give  the  kingdom  over  to 
the  keeping  of  Baal.  Having  ignored  the  teachings  of  Moses,  Samuel 
and  others  who  had  been  raised  up  for  their  betterment,  they  lapsed 
into  the  deepest  slums  of  iniquity.  At  the  same  time  it  is  but  natural 
to  suppose,  Jezebel,  whose  ambition  to  supplant  the  existing  state  relig- 
ion by  that  she  ardently  loved,  did  all  she  could  to  welcome  and  estab- 


JEZREEL  AND   ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  323 

lish  the  Baal  form  of  worship  throughout  the  kingdom,  putting  a  law 
in  practical  force  that  any  who  refused  to  adopt  it,  were  doomed  to  ter- 
rible persecutions ;  the  real  torture  of  which  could  only  be  known  by 
those  who  were  the  victims.  Ahab  was  not  inclined  to  build  a  temple 
to  Baal  at  Bethel,  the  headquarters  of  the  calf  worship ;  he,  therefore, 
caused  one  to  be  erected  in  the  city  of  Samaria  of  a  stupendous  char- 
acter, both  in  proportion  and  embellishment,  as  the  headquarters  of 
the  services  of  Baal.  Fragments  of  this  temple  remain  to  the  present; 
and  a  grove  was  also  prepared  and  dedicated  to  the  new'  divinities  at 
Jezreel  where  four  hundred  priests  were  employed. 

These  gorgeous  preparations  and  elaborate  ceremonies  so  completely 
enchanted  the  people,  they  fondly  adored  them  and  were  ready  to  slay 
any  one  who  avowed  their  intention  to  worship  the  true  God.  The 
altars  that  had  been  erected  to  the  Lord  were  torn  down,  and  others 
were  set  up  to  Baal  in  their  stead.  The  prophets  of  the  Lord  were 
slain,  and  those  of  Baal  were  appointed  in  their  stead.  The  crisis  had 
come  when  the  large  majority  of  the  people  in  the  northern  kingdom 
determined  to  bring  the  whole  people  to  Baal,  if  not  by  common  con- 
sent, they  should  submit  by  force.  The  music,  dances,  and  songs  of 
praise  that  were  fondly  lavished  upon  the  idols,  were  at  times  tumultu- 
ous, so  that  it  seems  as  if  the  whole  people  had  become  wild  over  their 
new  state  religion,  and  Baal  was  the  cry  from  all  quarters  by  old, 
young,  wise  and  ignorant;  all  sang  songs  of  adoration  to  Baal  in 
exulting  strains.  Just  then  when  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  was 
the  most  marked,  their  hopes  highest,  their  joys  brightest,  their  shouts 
loudest,  and  their  prospect  of  future  prosperity  most  encouraging,  a 
strange  man,  whom  they  had  not  seen  or  even  heard  of,  suddenly 
appears.  He  had  no  one  with  him,  and  from  his  general  bearing  one 
would  suppose  him  to  be  a  man  whose  calling  was  not  by  any  means 
enviable.  His  manner  was  uncouth,  his  step  firm  with  an  air  of  inde- 
pendence and  carelessness,  his  expression  was  stern  and  bold ;  his 
voice  was  heavy,  impressive  and  daring ;  his  garments  were  composed 
of  sheep-skin,  and  his  girdle  was  leather ;  he  walked  with  the  dignity 
of  a  king,  although  his  appearance  was  like  a  green  countryman,  who 
knew  nothing  of  the  courtesy  common  to  city  life ;  yet  he  moved  on 
in  this  unusual  way  to  the  residence  of  the  king,  and  suddenly  appears 
before  the  palace,  in  the  august  presence  of  the  mighty  king  of  Israel 
with  a  special  message  from  God.  Who  was  the  stranger,  and  from 
whence  came  he?  It  was  the  pi'ophet  Elijah,  a  native  of  Gilead,  but 
of  unknown  parentage  and  earlj'^  history.  All  we  can  learn  of  his 
early  life  is,  he  was  born  east  of  the  Jordan,  somewhere  among  the 


324  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

mountains  of  Gilead  ;  his  bearing  gave  evidence  that  he  was  trained 
in  the  highlands  and  looked  much  like  the  wandering  Bedouins  of  the 
present  time,  who  are  often  met  in  Palestine  and  Syria.  Elijah  had 
been  commissioned  of  the  Lord  to  cross  the  Jordan  and  go  over  to 
Jezreel'with  a  special  message  to  Ahab.  It  was  not  lengthy,  but  woeful 
as  to  the  future  of  Israel. 

This  cai'eless- looking  man  did  not  shrink  from  the  responsible  duty, 
nor  did  he  go  down  to  Joppa  and  embark  for  some  other  country, 
rather  than  go  to  the  people,  who  were  swallowed  up  in  idolatiy,  but 
fearlessly  went  directly  to  him  to  whom  he  was  sent,  without  alarm,  or 
offering  any  apology  for  his  coming,  nor  did  he  present  himself  to  the 
haughty  Ahab  in  an  humble  way.  He  was  bearing  a  message  to  a 
king  from  the  King  of  kings,  under  whose  protection  he  had  the  lib- 
ei'ty  to  go  with  manly  boldness  and  with  an  uncompi'omising  expres- 
sion depicted  upon  his  countenance,  and  with  undaunted  earnestness 
flashing  from  his  eyes.  When  such  a  man,  who  was  unbidden,  un- 
known and  uncouth,  approached  the  king  of  Israel,  it  must  have  been 
an  exciting  scene,  especially  so  when  he  began  his  short  speech  with  a 
sacred  oath,  and  then  pronounced  the  calamity  that  was  at  the  door.  If 
an  unexpected  thunderbolt  had  struck  the  palace,  it  would  not  have 
excited  more  alarm  than  the  words  of  the  stranger  who  stood  before 
the  king.  The  prophet  did  not  dress  his  message  with  an  alluring 
introduction  charged  with  flattery,  but  began  at  once  to  disclose  his 
mission  in  the  strongest  and  most  positive  terms  at  his  command.  "As 
the  Lord  the  God  of  Israel  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand,  there  shall  not 
be  dew  nor  rain  these  three  years,  but  according  to  my  word."  This 
was  an  astonishing  message,  one  that  foretold  a  pending  calamity, 
freighted  with  great  distress  and  death  ;  yet  it  was  but  the  beginning 
of  a  continuous  flow  of  Divine  indignation,  that  would  not  stop  until 
the  kingdom  should  be  leveled  with  the  dust,  and  its  inhabitants  led 
into  captivity. 

When  the  message  had  been  delivered,  the  prophet  did  not  wait  to 
hear  the  king's  rejjly,  for  none  was  needed  ;  but  as  suddenly  as  was 
his  coming  he  departed,  leaving  the  king  to  ponder  the  words  of  his 
strange  visitor.  Ahab,  in  his  blindness,  allowed  himself  to  become 
enraged  and  swore  vengeance  against  Elijah.  It  may  have  been  he 
did  not  wish  to  show  weakness  in  the  presence  of  Jezebel,  who  was 
ever  ready  to  cheer  him  and  prompt  him  to  deeds  of  violence  on  the 
least  seeming  provocation.  He  resolved  to  have  the  man  of  God  put 
to  death,  and  commissioned  his  officers  to  hunt  him  down  and  slay 
him.  But  where  was  he  to  be  found  ?  No  one  knew.  (1  Kings  xvii.  1). 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  325 

It  seems  not  to  have  occurred  to  them  that  the  God  of  heaven,  who 
sent  Elijah  would  surely  protect  him  against  the  wrath  of  wicked 
Ahab-  So  they  made  a  diligent  search  for  him,  but  could  not  appre- 
hend him  or  hear  of  him  through  any  one.  Where  is  he?  was  the 
anxious  inquiry  escaping  thousands  of  lips. 

ELIJAH'S  RETREAT. 

It  is  highly  probable  all  the  officers  of  state,  high  and  low,  were 
hunting  God's  messenger  with  excited  eagerness,  hoping  to  have  the 
honor  of  bearing  the  news  to  Ahab  that  the  daringly  arrogant  fellow, 
whose  presence  had  disturbed  him  so  much,  had  been  hunted  down  and 
slain.  But  the  Lord  had  provided  a  place  of  security  for  His  servant, 
and  arranged  for  his  sustenance  there  for  a  year.  It  is  remarkable 
that  Elijah  did  not 'go  east  of  the  Jordan  to  elude  the  officers  in  search 
of  him,  but  was  hiding  within  a  few  miles  from  the  place  where  he 
delivered  the  words  of  his  message  to  Ahab.  He,  being  directed  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  fled  to  the  narrow  confines  of  the  brook  Cherith, 
and  made  his  home  in  one  of  the  solitary  caves  in  a  deep  and  wild 
ravine  (traditionally)  located  on  its  northeastern  bank,  a  few  miles 
north  of  Jericho.  There  were  no  fears  lurking  in  the  breast  of  Elijah 
as  to  his  safety,  for  he  knew  the  Lord  would  sustain  him  amid  the 
rugged  clefts  of  the  Cherith,  just  as  He  did  while  living  at  the  house 
of  his  childhood,  among  the  mountains  of  Gilead.  There  were  four 
or  five  hundred  more  prophets  in  Israel  against  whom  Ahab  vented 
his  wrath,  Jezebel,  his  wife,  being  the  chief  directress  of  the  ma.ssacre. 
Obadiah,  who  was  chief  of  the  household,  took  a  hundred  of  the 
prophets  secretly  from  the  slaughtering  huntsmen  and  hid  them  in  caves 
by  fifties,  and  fed  them  with  bread  and  water,  without  the  knowledge 
of  their  wicked  persecutors.  Some  of  the  number,  it  is  feared,  became 
timid  and  changed  their  conduct  so  as  to  please  Ahab,  or  refused  to 
pronounce  as  before  against  the  idol  worshipers.  The  brook,  which 
was  Elijah's  only  water  supply,  became  dry.  This  was  not  an  un- 
common event,  as  some  have  supposed,  but  an  annual  occurrence. 
This  brook  is  a  winter  torrent,  which  carries  off  the  water  during  the 
rainy  season  from  the  heights  along  its  course,  and  receives  other  small 
streams  caused  by  the  rains.  But  when  these  feeders  fail  to  supply  it 
the  water  ebbs,  day  after  day,  until  the  brook  becomes  dry.  But  it  is 
reasonable  to  suppose  its  water  gave  out  earlier  the  season  Elijah  was 
hiding  there  because  of  the  lack  of  the  usual  rains.  The  time  had 
come  when  the  people  throughout  the  kingdom  hopefully  looked  for 
the  return  of  rain,  to  replenish  their  cisterns,  w^hich  were  about  ex- 


326  THE  LAXD  OF   PROMISE. 

hausted,  but  no  rain  fell.  Then  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  who  doubtless  in 
their  madness  were  eager  for  the  life-blood  of  Elijah,  began  to  awaken 
and  remember  the  words  uttered  by  the  strange  visitor,  who  so  abruptly 
approached  the  presence  of  his  august  majesty,  and  told  him  there 
would  be  a  cessation  of  rain  and  dew  for  three  years.  Soon  a  scene  of 
desolation  was  prominent  over  the  whole  kingdom.  The  fruitful  fields 
and  vineyards,  the  perennial  springs  and  streams  became  dry.  The 
fig,  olive  and  all  other  trees  began  to  droop  under  the  pressure  of  the 
drought.  The  cattle  and  flocks  were  dying  in  astounding  numbers, 
while  the  people  were  famishing.  Elijah's  water-supply  was  also  cut 
off,  for  the  brook  went  dry.  But  the  Lord  had  made  other  provisions, 
as  He  always  does  for  those  who  follow  Him.  He  ordered  him  to 
Zarephath,  the  Sarepta  of  the  New  Testament,  a  city  near  the  coast 
north  of  Tyre,  and  gave  him  a^  home  in  the  house  of  a  poor  widow. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  each  of  the  places  selected  for  the  prophet  were 
such  as  would  not  be  suspected  by  those  who  were  hunting  him.  It 
did  not  enter  their  minds  he  would  be  among  the  rugged  clefts  of 
Cherith,  where  the  needed  friendly  aid  to  sustain  him  could  not  be  had, 
nor  did  they  suppose  he  would  escape  to  any  of  the  cities  of  Phoenicia, 
because  he  was  religiously  unfriendly  to  the  people  and  could  expect 
no  protection  from  them.  But  the  Lord  chose  these  places  for  him 
and  raised  up  friends  to  His  servant  in  a  marvelous  and  miraculous 
way.  The  first  work  of  mercy  the  prophet  did  on  entering  Zarephath, 
was  a  miracle  which  recruited  the  woman's  meal  and  oil  until  the 
return  of  rain. 

The  famine  had  waxed  sore,  even  in  Phoenicia,  and  when  Elijah 
drew  near  the  house  the  Lord  had  selected  for  his  home  while  there, 
the  poor,  heart-broken  widow  came  out  of  her  door  to  perform  the  last 
domestic  work  of  her  life.  Her  meal,  except  a  handful,  was  entirely 
gone,  and  the  cruse  of  oil  was  also  about  gone,  except  enough  to  pre- 
pare a  small  cake  of  bread,  all  of  which  she  was  preparing  to  bake  for 
herself  and  son  to  eat — then  die.  But  the  prophet  being  weary  with 
his  long  journey,  hungry  and  thirsty,  asked  her.  in  connection  with  the 
water  she  wa.s  about  to  get  him,  to  bring  also  a  cake.  The  poor  woman 
related  her  sad  situation,  telling  Elijah  of  the  small  amount  of  meal 
and  oil  she  had,  but  the  man  of  God  assured  her,  if  she  did  as  he 
requested,  her  meal  and  oil  should  not  give  out  until  the  Lord  should 
send  rain.  Ordinarily  this  would  have  been  an  exorbitant  request, 
but,  under  the  circumstances,  she  was  simply  blessing  herself  abun- 
dantly by  blessing  God's  sen'ant  a  little.  This  act  of  the  widow  met 
the  approval  of  the  Almighty ;  she  did  not  refrain  from  giving  a  part 


JEZREEL   AND   ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  327 

of  the  small  remnant  of  meal  she  had  to  a  stranger,  and  did  not  fail 
to  receive  her  reward.  The  least  we  may  suppose  as  to  her  faith  hence- 
forth, is  she  became  soundly  drawn  from  the  faith  of  Baal-worship  and 
served  the  God  of  Elijah,  This  did  not  take  place,  however,  until  her 
only  son,  who  died,  was  restored  alive  to  her  by  Elijah,  for  she  said, 
when  he  was  returned  to  her,  "  Noav,  I  know  that  thou  art  a  man  of 
God,  and  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  is  in  thy  mouth  in  truth."  After 
a  time  it  so  happened,  the  famine  was  raging  so  greatly  in  Israel,  the 
king,  his  household,  his  full-blooded  horses  and  cattle  were  threatened 
Avith  death. 

Seeing  the  imminent  peril  the  royal  household  was  placed  in,  Ahab 
became  alarmed  and  concluded  he  would  go  himself  in  search  of  water 
and  grass  for  the  perishing  animals,  hoping  he  might  find  some  green 
spot,  somewhere  wnthin  the  domain  of  his  kingdom ;  and  a  running 
stream,  though  it  might  be  very  shallow,  that  would  serve  to  keep  the 
beasts  alive.  That  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  kingdom  might  be  carefully 
made,  the  king  requested  Obadiah,  who  had  charge  of  the  affairs  of 
his  household,  to  assist  in  making  the  search.  It  is  just  that  we  say, 
Obadiah  was  in  great  sympathy  with  the  prophets  and  the  remain- 
ing few  who  adhered  to  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  and  he  reverenced 
and  feared  the  Lord  (1  Kings  xvii.  10-24).  It  is  likely  he  was  many 
times  found  in  the  same  attitude  of  the  earnestly  devout  worshipers 
who  bowed  their  knee  to  Baal.  For  it  is  not  perceivable  how  he  cou'd 
be  in  the  confidence  of  Ahab  without  indicating  his  belief  in  and 
devotion  to  the  worship  of  their  god.  It  is  our  opinion,  therefore,  that 
while  Obadiah  often  bowed  his  knees  before  Baal,  he  did  not  bow  to 
him  in  his  heart ;  but  like  Naaman,  when  he  entered  with  his  master 
the  house  of  Rimmon,  he  only  bowed  his  knee,  but  his  heart  took  no 
pleasure  in  it.  These  two  men  of  high  distinction  divided  the  whole 
kingdom  between  them,  to  go  in  diligent  search  for  water  and  grass 
among  the  ravines  and  low  lands  far  and  near  ;  Ahab  going  in  one 
direction,  and  Obadiah  in  another. 

ELIJAH'S  RETURN  TO  AHAB. 

This  occurred  about  the  time  that  the  Lord  ordered  Elijah  to  appear 
again  before  Ahab,  which  was  about  the  end  of  the  third  year  of  the 
famine.  The  prophet  had  left  his  temporary  home  in  Sarepta,  and  was 
again  in  Israel,  wending  his  way  towards  Jezreel  to  meet  Ahab,  in  the 
same  stern  and  fearless  manner  he  approached  the  king  on  his  first 
visit.  Obadiah  was  out  earnestly  hunting  for  grass  and  water,  having 
no  idea  of  meeting  the  man  5f  God,  for  whom  a  relentless  search  was 


328  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

being  made,  and  against  whom  vengeance  had  been  sworn ;  but  Elijah 
went  on  fearlessly,  for  the  Lord  had  sent  him.  He  said  to  Obadiah 
(who  knew  him),  "  Go  tell  thy  lord,  Behold  Elijah  is  here,"  and 
assured  him  he  would  appear  before  the  king  that  day.  The  prophet, 
true  to  his  word,  met  Ahab,  not  to  declare  the  continuance  of  the  fam- 
ine, but  to  assure  him  that  the  end  of  it  had  come,  and  there  would  be 
an  abundance  of  rain.  It  is  probable  that  when  the  king  saw  Elijah 
all  the  indignation  of  his  soul  was  kindled  against  him  for  a  moment, 
but  was  suppressed  just  as  soon  as  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  opened 
his  mouth  to  him.     "  Is  it  thou,  thou  troubler  of  Israel?  " 

Elijah  was  not  alarmed  at  the  presence  of  the  man  who  had  sworn 
vengeance  against  him,  but  addressed  him  with  the  same  sternness  he 
did  w^hen  he  met  him  three  years  prior.  In  reply  to  the  king  he  said, 
"  I  have  not  troubled  Israel,  but  thou  and  thy  father's  house,  in  that 
ye  have  forsaken  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  thou  hast  fol- 
lowed Baalim."  Is  it  not  marvelous  that  Ahab  at  once  seems  to  have 
lost  all  the  bitterness  he  so  long  entertained  for  Elijah,  and  became  as 
though  he  was  but  a  subject  standing  in  the  presence  of  a  king?  Indeed 
Elijah  did,  for  a  time,  ascend  in  point  of  power  above  the  king  of 
Israel  and  commanded  him  to  do  a  work  which  was  faithfully  fulfilled. 
So  it  may  be  said  of  the  prophet,  he  for  a  short  period  while  filling  his 
mission  as  a  divine  messenger,  acted  as  king  of  Israel  in  that  he  com- 
manded the  king  to  assemble  all  the  people  before  him  (Elijah)  on  Mount 
Carmel,  and  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of  Baal,  and  the  four 
hundred  prophets  of  Astaroth.  In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the 
messenger  of  the  Most  High,  Ahab  had  messengers  dispatched  calling 
the  people  to  meet  Elijah  on  Mount  Carmel ;  and  when  they  had 
come,  the  man  of  God  asked  in  thunder  tones  the  momentous  question, 
which  has  been  repeated  with  equal  earnestness  by  many  thousands 
who  have  been  chosen  messengers  under  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "  How 
long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ?  If  Jehovah  be  God,  follow  Him  ; 
but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him." 

The  people  followed  Baal  because  they  wished  to  please  Ahab,  and 
be  favored  with  the  positions  of  state  at  his  disposal ;  at  the  same  time 
they  wanted  to  hold  to  the  God  of  heaven,  that  they  might  respect  the 
opinions  of  their  fathers.  But  their  inclination  for  the  worship  of 
Baal  was  fast  absorbing  them  so  completely,  they  were  claiming  for 
him  the  same  authority  the  true  follower  and  prophet  of  the  Almighty 
God  claimed  for  Him.  Now  Elijah  wished  to  have  the  matter  fully 
and  fairly  te.sted,  that  it  might  be  settled  for  all  time.  Therefore  the 
stern,  dauntless  prophet  stood  the  lone  representative  of  the  God  of 


JEZKEEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS..  329 

heaven,  against  eight  hundred  and  fifty  of  those  representing  Baal, 
who  had  a  host  who  were  in  open  sympathy  with  them.  It  may  be  that 
Obadiah  and  a  few  of  the  seven  thousand  who  continued  true  to  the 
God  of  their  fathers  were  present,  but  did  not  dare  make  known  their 
preference.  Hence  Elijah  practically  stood  alone  ;  yet  he  was  brave, 
confident,  and  full  of  good  cheer.  The  prophet  proposed  that  a  settle- 
ment of  the  question,  as  to  who  had  the  right  to  be  acknowledged  the 
true  God,  be  made ;  and  that  there  might  be  no  disadvantage  taken, 
he  gave  the  Baalites  the  first  opportunity  to  test  the  authority  and 
reality  of  their  god. 

The  matter  of  demonstrative  answers  to  prayer  had  never  been 
tested  by  the  officials  of  this  heathen  deity,  and  yet  they  had  full  con- 
fidence in  him,  and  believed  he  would  make  known  himself  in  showers 
of  fire  that  day,  to  the  jubilant  gratification  of  all  the  people  assem- 
bled on  the  mount  and  to  all  Israel  throughout.  The  mode  of  testa- 
tion was  the  consumption  of  a  sacrificial  bullock  laid  upon  a  new 
altar,  expressly  erected  for  the  tremendous  event.  They,  after  care- 
fully arranging  their  sacrifice,  began  to  send  out  a  wild  and  tumultu- 
ous cry,  "  Come,  Baal,  O,  Baal,  hear  us  !  "  But  he  did  not  hear  them, 
nor  come  in  that  extreme  moment  of  anxious  hope.  To  give  them  a 
good  chance  to  vindicate  their  cause,  Elijah  told  them  tauntingly  and 
ironically  to  "  Cry  aloud,  for  he  is  a  god  ;  either  he  is  amusing  himself 
or  is  gone  aside,  or  is  on  a  journey,  or  peradventure  he  sleepeth  and 
must  be  awakened."  Then  the  scene  that  followed  must  have  been 
amusing  to  the  prophet,  for  they  became  really  wild  with  clamorous 
shouts,  and  dancing  about  the  altar,  even  cutting  themselves  with 
their  lances.  But  Baal  did  not  come.  Jezebel,  who  was  equally  con- 
cerned as  to  the  result  of  the  test,  no  doubt  heard  the  cries  of  her 
confident  prophets,  and  sat  at  the  highest  window  in  the  palace  of 
Jezreel,  or  in  the  tower,  anxious  to  witness  the  flow  of  fire  stream  from 
heaven  in  answer  to  the  faithful  call  of  the  priests  of  Baal ;  and  Ahab, 
who  had  become  greatly  humbled  in  the  presence  of  Elijah,  was  sta- 
tioned at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  scene  in  hopeful  expectation 
of  a  triumphant  victory  for  Baal. 

After  these  priests  had  made  a  thorough  test  of  the  capacity  ot 
their  god  and  signally  failed  up  to  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the 
evening  sacrifice,  Elijah,  the  lone  representative  of  the  God  of  heaven; 
called  the  people  around  him,  that  they  might  witness  there  was  no 
unfairness  in  his  dealing  with  this  monstrous  test.  He  then  rebuilt 
the  altar  of  the  Lord  that  had  been  thrown  down,  and  took  up  twelve 
stones,  each  one  representing  a  tribe  of  Israel,  and  built  an  altar  in 


330  .  THE  LAND  OF  PEOMISE. 

the  name  of  his  God,     He  cut  the  bullock  in  piece?  and  put  it  upon 

the  altar,  and  then  drew  water  from  the   perennial  spring  (which  is 

still  located)  and  poured,  or  caused  to  be,  twelve  barrels  on  the  altar, 

so  that  the  bullock,  wood  and  altar  were  overflowing,  and  the  trench 

around  it  was  filled.     Now  all  is  in   readiness  for   the  test  of  Elijah's 

God.     The  prophet  was  not  only  confident,  but  full  of  assurance.     He 

drew  near  the  altar  and  prayed,  saying  :    "  O.  Lord  God  of  Abraham, 

of  Isaac  and  of  Jacob,  let  it  be  known  this  day  that  Thoii  art  God  in 

Israel,  and  that  I  am   Thy  servant,  and   that  I  have  done  all  these 

things  at  Thy  word.     Hear  me,  O  Lord,  hear  me  that  this  people  may 

know  that  Thou,  Lord,  art  God,  and  that  Thou  hast  turned  their  hearts 

back  again." 

ANSWER  TO    ELIJAH'S   PRAYER. 

At  the  moment  Elijah  had  finished  his  pathetic  prayer,  fire  from 
the  Lord  God  fell  from  heaven,  consuming  the  sacrifice,  the  wood,  and 
to  the  astonishment  of  all,  the  very  stones  of  which  the  altar  was  com- 
posed were  melted  by  the  fire,  and  the  water  in  the  trench  was  con- 
sumed by  the  flames.  When  the  multitude  of  witnesses  saw  it,  they 
suddenly  fell  upon  their  faces  and  cried  out,  "  The  Lord,  He  is  God  ; 
the  Lord,  He  is  God."  Elijah  immediately  became  the  acknowledged 
master  of  the  situation  ;  therefore  the  people,  and  even  Ahab,  stood 
ready  to  observe  whatsoever  he  commanded.  All  the  false  prophets  of 
Baal,  without  an  exception,  were  captured.  They  were  then  led  down 
to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  slain  by  the  brook  Kishon.  Then 
Elijah  came  to  Ahab,  who  seems  to  have  been  as  meek  as  any  of  his 
subjects,  and  said :  "  Get  thee  up ;  eat  and  drink,  for  there  is  the  sound 
of  abundance  of  rain."  The  king  reverentially  obeyed,  for  Elijah  was 
the  commander-in-chief  for  the  time  being,  and  every  order  was  care- 
fully observed.  But  there  was  yet  another  thing  to  be  done  according 
to  prophecy — the  rain  which  had  been  stopped  for  three  years  must 
come  in  abundance. 

The  man  of  God  ascended  to  the  top  of  Carmel  in  great  humilia- 
tion, and  sent  his  servant  up  to  another  peak  to  look  toward  the  sea 
for  signs  of  the  gathering  clouds,  for  he  was  expecting  rain,  but  he 
soon  returned  without  having  seen  any  visible  indications  of  the  pend- 
ing storm.  But  the  prophet  sent  him  again,  even  until  he  had  gone 
Seven  times.  Then  he  reported  he  saw  a  cloud  about  the  size  of  a  man's 
hand,  as  if  rising  out  of  the  sea.  Elijah  sent  word  to  Ahab  to  have  his 
chariot  in  readiness,  to  make  all  possible  haste  to  his  palace,  lest  the 
rain  should  prevent  him.  Such  a  message  would  doubtless  have  been 
as  an  idle  tale  to  Ahab  under  ordinary  circumstances ;  but  it  came 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  331 

from  Elijah,  and  he  believed  it  to  be  true,  notwithstanding  there  were 
no  indications  of  a  storm  as  far  as  he  could  see.  Elijah  ran  before  the 
chariot  of  Ahab,  like  an  Egyptian  courier,  to  the  gate  of  Jezreel.  In 
the  meantime  the  heavens  became  black  with  clouds,  and  the  rain 
descended  in  torrents.  Ahab,  having  witnessed  the  wonderful  demon- 
stration of  the  power  of  God  through  Elijah,  did  not  come  forward 
like  an  honorable  man  and  destroy  every  image  of  Baal  he  had  set 
up,  and  order  the  people  to  return  to  the  religion  of  their  fathers,  but 
went  home  sheepishly  to  Jezebel  and  told  her  all  that  had  come  to 
pass.  The  woman  was  viciously  angry,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Elijah 
with  this  woeful  message  :  "  So  let  the  gods  do  to  me  and  more  also  if 
I  make  not  thy  life  as  the  life  of  one  of  them  by  to-morrow  about 
this  time." 

When  Elijah  heard  this,  he  became  alarmed  and  fled  to  Beersheba, 
in  Judah,  and  left  his  servant  there.  The  conduct  of  Elijah  has  been 
harshly  criticised  by  some  people  because  he  allowed  a  Avoman  to  so 
alarm  him  ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  all  that  the  prophet 
did  of  a  superior  character,  was  by  the  direction  and  under  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  without  its  dictation  he  was  simply 
an  ordinary  man.  It  would  have  been  a  hard  thing  to  have  found  a 
man  who,  under  the  circumstances,  would  not  have  done  the  same. 
When  the  man  of  God  had  finished  the  work  assigned  him  on  Mt.  Car- 
mel,  and  escorted  Ahab  to  the  gate  of  Jezreel,  all  that  was  intended 
for  him  to  do  at  that  time  was  accomplished.  It  should  be  remembered, 
also,  that  Elijah  was  of  the  class  of  prophets  that  were  given  certain 
messages  to  carry  immediately,  and  not  as  those  whose  prophecies  were 
many  centuries  developing.  He  did  not  write  his  predictions  as  did 
those  whose  names  are  used  as  the  title  of  a  number  of  books  in  the 
Old  Testament,  but  was  a  reformer  of  men,  and  a  messenger  from  the 
Lord,  going  from  man  to  man,  rebuking  and  commending  as  the  case 
might  be.  If  God  had  ordered  Elijah  to  carry  a  message  to  Jezebel, 
he  would  have  returned  with  the  messenger  that  she  sent  to  him,  and 
delivered  it.  It  was  the  Lord's  will  he  should  do  as  he  did,  and  caused 
Jezebel  to  notify  him  of  her  intention,  that  he  might  have  ample  time 
in  which  to  escape.  It  was  not  the  will  of  the  Lord  to  reveal  to  Elijah 
the  calamities  that  should  visit  Ahab,  Jezebel,  the  city  of  Samaria,  and 
the  whole  kingdom,  which  would  be  of  such  a  destructive  character 
that  the  king  should  be  swept  from  his  throne  and  the  nation  brought 
down  to  the  dust ;  but  it  seems  He  intended  to  show  the  prophet,  who,, 
but  a  few  hours  prior,  was  the  hero  of  Mt.  Carmel,  that  he  was  but  a 
frail  man,  and  could  do  nothing  without  divine  help. 


332  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


ELIJAH'S  FLIGHT. 


It  may  have  been  that  Elijah's  triumph  over  the  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  priests  of  Baal,  and  over  Ahab  himself,  would  have  caused 
him  to  become  a  little  pompous  ;  therefore,  the  Lord  allowed  this  sud- 
den withdrawal  of  spiritual  force  to  keep  His  servant  humble  and  ever 
mindful  that  he  was  but  an  humble  instrument  through  whom  the 
Almighty  worked  His  sovereign  will.  When  Elijah  was  moved  by 
the  Spirit  to  leave  Beersheba  and  flee  into  the  wilderness,  he  seems  to 
have  comprehended  the  magnitude  of  the  situation,  and  left  the  lad, 
his  servant  (who,  a  far-fetched  tradition  says,  was  the  widow's  son 
whom  he  restored  to  life,  and  the  Jonah  who  was  sent  to  Nineveh), 
and  went  alone  to  the  solitary  wilderness,  and  sat  down  under  the 
shady  branches  of  a  juniper  tree,  and  wished  he  might  be  permitted  to 
die.  Here  we  find  the  bold,  indomitable,  indefatigable  Elijah,  weary, 
thirsty,  hungry,  and  preferring  death  rather  than  the  ordeal  through 
which  he  was  passing.  But  the  eye  of  the  Lord  was  watching  him  to 
guide  and  comfort  him  along  the  lonely  road.  While  he  slept,  an 
angel  brought  him  bread  and  water,  which  strengthened  him  forty 
days  and  nights.  "The  eye  of  the  Lord  is  over  the  righteous,  and  His 
ear  is  open  to  their  cry."  Elijah  journeyed  from  thence  to  Mt  Horeb, 
and  took  refuge  in  one  of  the  huge  caves,  once  more  far  from  those 
who  sought  his  life,  and  in  a  place  far  more  dreary  than  his  rocky 
chamber  by  the  brook  Cherith.  He  was  a  ready  man,  and  moved  by 
divine  command  the  moment  he  was  called  upon. 

It  did  not  matter  to  him  what  the  character  of  the  message  was,  to 
whom  it  was  to  be  delivered,  nor  how  far  he  must  go  to  bear  it ;  he 
was  ready  and  willing  for  the  task.  There  were  many  prophets  sent 
among  the  people,  but  none  more  impressive  and  distinguished  than 
this  stern  Tishbite,  whose  second  coming  was  confidently  expected 
prior  to  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  to  recognize  the  chafed  Hebrews 
who  were  groaning  under  the  reward  of  their  hands.  When  Malachi 
was  finishing  his  prophecies,  he  referred  to  Elijah  as  the  great  central 
figure  in  turning  the  hearts  of  those  who  had  become  estranged  towards 
each  other  ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  his  name  was  carried  down 
through  that  long  period  of  over  four  hundred  years  of  profound 
silence,  which  causes  a  deep  and  dark  chasm  to  be  placed  between  the 
closing  of  the  Old  Dispensation  and  the  beginning  of  the  New.  This 
idea  is  clear  from  the  statement  of  the  woman  of  Sychar  to  our  Lord 
at  Jacob's  Well.  "  We  know  Elias  must  first  come  and  restore  all 
things."     And  those  who  were  about  the  cross  when  Jesus  cried  out, 


JEZREEL   AND   ITS   ENVIRONMENTS.  333 

"Eloi,  Eloi,  lama  sabachthaui,"  supposed  He  was  calling  for  Elijah, 
aud  waited  to  see  if  ho  would  come  and  deliver  Him.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  the  Lord  never  removes  one  of  His  messengers  from  labor 
without  having  some  one  to  take  his  place,  if  another  is  needed ;  for  it 
occurs  at  times  that  the  entire  work  belonging  to  certain  developments 
is  allotted  to  one  person,  so  that  in  hundreds  of  instances  we  have  but 
one  man  for  some  peculiar  work,  whose  singular  characteristics  aud  fit- 
ness prepared  him  to  discharge  the  duties  enjoined.  There  was  in  fact 
but  one  Moses,  one  Samuel,  one  Elijah  ;  and  so  we  might  trace  this 
line  of  singularly  fitted  men  down  to  our  time,  aud  find  them  in  the 
persons  of  John  Wesley,  Richard  Allen,  Daniel  A.  Payne,  John  Brown, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  Charles  Sumner,  and  others.  When  the  time  of 
their  demise  came,  the  living  wondered  who  would  take  their  places 
and  carry  on  the  work  they  were  so  faithfully  pursuing ;  but  as  time 
passed  it  was  found  that  the  work  in  this  particular  was  so  well  devel- 
oped that  another  to  follow  in  their  identical  sphere  was  not  needed. 
The  Lord  appointed  Elijah  to  perform  a  peculiar  work  that  required  a 
man  with  just  such  singular  fitness  as  he  possessed  ;  one  who  had  the 
courage  to  strike  heavy  and  effectual  blows  at  the  very  heart  of  idol- 
worship,  and  cause  the  powers  that  upheld  it  to  tremble.  But  before 
the  time  came  for  Elijah  to  be  called  from  the  field,  God  made  choice 
of  another  who  was  to  enter  upon  the  work  in  his  room,  but  conduct 
it  under  diflerent  circumstances  and  in  another  way. 

ELIJAH   COMMANDED   TO   RETURN. 

When  the  Lord  came  to  Elijah,  while  he  no  doubt  was  in  deep 
meditation  in  his  rocky  home  in  Mt.  Horeb,  and  informed  him,  to  his 
great  astonishment,  there  were  yet  seven  thousand  in  Israel  who  had 
not  bowed  to  Baal,  He  commanded  him  to  "  return  on  the  way  to 
the  wilderness  of  Damascus :  aud  when  thou  comest.  thou  shalt  anoint 
Hazael  to  be  king  over  Syria ;  and  Jehu,  the  son  of  Nimshi,  shalt  thou 
anoint  to  be  king  over  Israel ;  and  Elisha,  the  son  of  Shaphat  of  Abel- 
meholah,  shalt  thou  anoint  to  be  prophet  in  thy  room."  This  young 
man,  who  seems  to  have  known  nothing  but  country  life,  having  been 
reared  as  a  husbandman,  was  chosen  of  God  to  the  high  ofiicial  ofiice 
of  Elijah.  The  prophet  went  from  his  solitary  hiding  with  the  full 
intention  of  fulfilling  the  commands  he  had  received,  but  only  had  an 
opportunity  of  performing  one  of  them  in  person.  He  anointed  the 
man  named  as  his  successor  the  first  of  all,  instead  of  going  down  to 
Damascus  to  anoint  Hazael  to  reign  in  the  stead  of  Ben-hadad,  or  Jehu 
to  take  Ahab's  place. 


334  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

We  know  human  beings  are  so  constituted  tliey  are  seldom  willing 
that  another  should  succeed  them  in  honorable  and  exalted  positions, 
whether  in  church  or  state,  notwithstanding  the  burden  of  more  than 
three-score  and  ten  years,  united  with  failing  health  which  disqualifies 
them  to  discharge  the  duties  their  position  enjoins.  But  there  was  no 
feeling  existing  in  Elijah,  for  he  manifested  no  disposition  to  stand  in 
the  way  of  another  whom  God  had  chosen.  It  was  important  Elisha 
should  be  anointed  and  receive  a  primary  knowledge  of  the  work 
before  he  (Elijah)  was  called  home;  others  could  fill  his  place  in 
setting  apart  Hazael  and  Jehu,  but  no  one  could  anoint  his  successor. 
Therefore,  he  performed  the  more  important  duty  first.  We  feel  con- 
fident that  every  fair-minded  man  will  indorse  Elijah's  conduct  in  this 
all-important  matter,  and  his  aflTectionate  disposition  towards  Elisha 
the  remainder  of  the  time  allotted  him  before  the  chariot  separated 
them.  Elijah  took  the  young  man  as  his  sou  from  the  day  he  anointed 
him,  and  acted  like  a  loving  father  to  the  end  of  his  pilgrimage 
on  earth.  Indeed  they  seemed  more  like  close  companions  than  pre- 
decessor and  successor,  for  they  aflfectionately  lived  together,  going 
from  place  to  place  with  all  the  fondness  that  they  could  possess.  Nor 
was  Elisha  willing  to  leave  Elijah  when  the  day  of  separation  came, 
although  he  could  not  fully  enter  upon  his  work  until  his  father  had 
left  the  world.  This  young  man's  conduct  towards  his  senior  was  a 
manly  example  that  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  many  in  our  day  if 
they  would  follow  it. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  Elijah  did  not  leave  the  world  for 
several  years  after  his  return  from  Mt.  Horeb,  and  pronounced  doleful 
predictions  against  Ahab  and  his  house.  After  the  separation,  Elisha 
devoted  much  time  to  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  giving  them  counsel 
in  the  work  they  were  to  pursue  as  teachers  in  the  \aneyard  of  the 
Lord.  On  one  occasion  his  presence  saved  many  of  them  from  a  sad 
and  deadly  calamity;  when  the  poisonous  plant  had  been  uninten- 
tionally put  in  the  pot  of  pottage.  He  was  active  in  admonishing  the 
kings,  and  giving  such  warnings  from  time  to  time  as  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  dictated.  One  of  his  great  acts  was  the  advice  to  Xaaman  the 
leper,  as  has  been  stated.  There  is  an  incident  connected  with  the  life 
of  Elisha  most  touching  and  instructive.  It  was  his  custom  to  make 
frequent  visits  to  Shunem ;  and  in  time,  the  attention  of  a  wealthy 
woman,  whose  household  consisted  of  herself  and  husband  only,  was 
drawn  to  him.  She  is  called  in  the  Bible,  "a  great  woman  ;  "  and  she 
proved  herself  worthy  of  this  distinguished  recognition,  as  her  history 
shows.     It  occurred  one  day,  when  the  prophet  entered  the  town,  she 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  335 

gave  him  a  cordial  invitation  to  stop  at  her  house  any  time  he  passed 
that  way ;  she  also  proposed  to  her  husband  to  build  a  special  room 
apart  from  the  main  building  "for  the  man  of  God."  When  it  was 
finished  she  furnished  it  with  whatever  was  necessary  for  his  comfort. 

Elisha  was  grateful  for  her  generous  considerations  and  felt  himself 
under  obligations  to  her,  and  felt  it  his  duty  to  do  any  kindness  for  the 
family  he  could,  whenever  an  opportunity  was  presented.  He  asked 
what  returns  he  should  make  to  repay  her  for  her  favor ;  asking  if  he 
should  speak  of  her  commendably  to  the  king  or  the  captain  of  the 
hosts.  But  the  woman  did  not  do  this  deed  of  charity  that  she  might 
be  extolled  or  brought  into  high  favor  with  the  powers  that  be,  but  for 
"  the  man  of  God's  "  sake.  "  I  dwell  among  mine  own  people,"  said 
she,  or  she  would  have  Elisha  understand  she  took  more  pleasure  with 
her  husband  and  home,  than  to  be  in  company  with  the  king  or  the  high 
officials  of  the  kingdom.  Elisha  was  informed  by  Gehazi  she  had  no 
children,  and  told  her  she  would  be  a  mother  (2  Kings  iv.  13).  The 
statement  seemed  to  her  so  very  unlikely,  she  said  to  Elisha,  "Nay,  my 
lord,  thou  man  of  God,  do  not  lie  to  thine  hand-maid."  But  the  pre- 
diction of  the  prophet  was  fulfilled,  and  this  woman  in  advanced  age 
embraced  a  son,  who  seemed  to  have  been  the  idol  of  her  heart.  At 
length  the  child  became  suddenly  ill,  at  a  time  when  Elisha  was  not 
there,  but  at  his  own  home  at  Mt.  Carmel.  This  little  child  finally  died 
in  its  mother's  arms.  It  was  a  most  bitter  affliction  to  her  ;  yet  she  had 
strong  faith  in  Elisha,  and  without  any  demonstration  of  grief,  she  laid 
her  dead  child  on  the  bed  of  the  prophet,  and  fled  with  haste  across 
the  plain,  enduring  the  pressure  of  the  burning  sun,  to  the  home  of 
Elisha  on  the  mountain. 

When  he  saw  her  coming  he  was  impressed  that  something  of  a 
very  urgent  character  impelled  her  to  come  to  him  so  far  through  the 
intense  heat,  and  being  anxious  to  know  what  the  cause  of  her  visit 
was,  he  sent  Gehazi  to  meet  her  and  inquire  if  all  was  well.  But  she 
was  not  willing  to  make  known  her  sorrows  to  the  young  man,  so  she 
kept  the  object  of  her  mission  within  her  own  sad  heart  until  she 
came  into  the  house  of  the  "  man  of  God."  On  arriving  at  the  house 
she  fell  in  an  exhausted  state  at  his  feet.  When  she  sufficiently  recov- 
ered to  break  the  news,  she  told  what  had  happened  to  her  son.  Elisha 
immediately  sent  his  servant  ahead  with  his  staff"  to  lay  it  on  the  child, 
for  the  woman  would  not  leave  him,  so  he  arose  and  went  with  her. 
On  entering  the  room  where  the  dead  child  lay  he  prayed  to  God 
from  the  depth  of  his  soul  for  his  restoration,  and  soon  it  revived  and 
was  restored  to  the  mother.     When  the  famine  was  raging  in  the  land 


336  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

this  woman,  by  advice  of  Elisha,  left  her  home,  and  went  into  Philistia 
and  remained  seven  years.  On  her  return  home  she  found  that  her 
projjerty  had  been  seized  by  an  enemy. 

When  court  opened  she  went  up  to  lay  her  complaint  before  the 
king.  On  her  arrival  at  the  palace  Gehazi  was  there  relating  the 
whole  circumstance  ;  and  seeing  her  enter,  exclaimed  :  "  My  Lord ! 
O  !  king,  this  is  the  woman  and  her  son  whom  Elisha  restored  !  "  After 
hearing  her  story  the  king  ordered  her  property  returned  with  all  the 
benefits  it  brought  during  her  absence.  There  seems  to  have  been  a 
divine  purpose,  not  known  to  Elisha  at  the  time  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion towards  Samaria  as  a  residence,  instead  of  Bethel,  for  he  arrived 
there  just  about  the  time  the  two  kings,  Jehoram  or  Joram  of  Israel 
and  Jehoshaphat  of  Judah,  had  formed  an  alliance  to  go  up  against 
Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  and  his  allies,  as  mentioned  in  another  chapter 
(2  Kings  viii.  2),  and  he  gave  Joram  the  needed  advice  for  Jehosha- 
phat's  sake.  It  occurred  also  that  a  poor  widow,  who  had  been  the 
wife  of  one  of  the  prophet's  sons,  was  in  deep  distress :  her  husband, 
who  had  been  very  poor,  died  in  debt,  leaving  nothing  to  settle  the 
amount  due  his  creditors.  And  as  the  law  permitted  the  person  seek- 
ing satisfaction  to  seize  all  the  dead  man  left,  even  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, to  recover  his  money,  the  creditor,  taking  advantage  of  this  law, 
was  about  to  take  the  two  sons  of  this  widow  to  make  them  work  for 
him  until  the  debt  was  settled.  This  rule  still  obtains  (we  are  informed) 
in  Damascus,  Bagdad  and  other  places  in  the  East.  She  complained 
to  Elisha  of  her  situation,  and  the  prophet  asked  what  she  had  in  the 
house  ;  she  told  him,  nothing  but  a  pot  of  oil.  Elisha  ordered  her  to 
borrow  all  the  pots  she  could  find  among  the  neighbors  far  and  near 
that  were  not  in  use ;  this  she  did,  fully  expecting  good  results,  although 
she  did  not  at  first  know  what  the  prophet  would  do  with  them.  But 
she  felt  it  her  duty  to  carry  out  to  her  uttermost  ability  the  advice 
given.  Elisha  told  her,  when  she  had  finished  bringing  the  vessels, 
she  should  shut  the  door  upon  herself  and  sons  so  as  to  be  secluded 
from  any  one,  and  pour  out  in  all  the  vessels,  and  set  aside  those  that 
were  filled.  This  the  woman  and  her  sons  carefully  did.  When  all 
were  filled,  she  went  to  Elisha  and  told  him.  He  said,  "  Go  sell  thy 
oil  and  pay  thy  debt,  and  live,  thou  and  thy  children  of  the  rest."  It 
is  useless  to  add  more  than  this — a  poor  widow's  heart  was  made  to 
rejoice,  her  sons  were  saved  from  bondage,  and  the  name  of  God  was 
gloi'ified. 

It  rarely  occurs  that  men   whose  dispositions  so  widely  diflfer  live 
together  such  a  long  time  as  Elijah  and  Elisha  did  in  harmony.     But 


JEZREEL  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  337 

we  find  these  two  servants  of  God  just  as  lamb-like  as  if  they  possessed 
the  same  peculiar  characteristics,  but  as  men  there  was  a  vast  contrast 
between  them.  In  the  first  place,  Elijah  was  odd  in  his  dress,  so  much 
so  he  was  known  by  it ;  it  is  likely  that  many  who  met  him,  who  had 
never  seen  him  before,  knew  he  was  Elijah  by  his  clothes.  He  was 
in  that  respect  like  many  who  live  in  our  time,  that  seem  to  take  pleas- 
ure in  being  odd  from  their  fellows.  In  connection  with  the  oddness 
of  Elijah's  dress,  he  was  equally  so  in  his  general  bearing,  yet  he  was 
kind,  manly  and  sympathetic.  But  Elisha  was  full  of  life,  having 
gentle  manners  and  mild  speech  ;  and  yet  between  the  two  a  fervent 
friendship  was  kindled  that  continued  as  long  as  they  remained 
together.  (2  Kings  iii. ;  iv.)  When  Elisha  was  called  from  his  plow 
to  be  a  prophet  he  immediately  consented  to  the  will  of  the  Lord  with- 
out a  murmur,  notwithstanding  but  little  could  be  expected  as  to  his 
prosj^erity  at  that  time,  for  the  whole  land  in  which  his  services  were 
wanted,  had  gone  astray  after  idols.  And  when  the  mantle  of  Elijah 
fell  upon  him  he  entered  the  work  under  different  circumstances  and 
a  heavier  responsibility  than  he  had  yet  experienced. 

It  was  not  until  the  translation  of  his  father  that  he  was  to  become  a 
full-fledged  prophet ;  hitherto  he  was  a  disciple  sitting  at  the  feet  of 
Elijah.  But  the  trouble  came  to  him  when  his  father  was  taken  away. 
It  was  far  more  easy  for  him  to  divide  the  Jordan  with  the  sheep-skin 
mantle,  than  to  stop  the  flow  of  idolatry  that  was  prevalent  in  the 
land.  It  •\vas  much  easier  for  him  to  make  the  bitter  waters  of  the 
spring  of  Jericho  sweet,  than  change  the  bitter  water  flowing  from  a 
wicked  heart  to  a  sweet  and  pure  spring  from  which  might  flow  the 
water  of  life.  It  was  much  less  troublesome  to  cause  the  oil  to  flow 
into  vessels  that  enabled  the  widow  to  save  her  sons  from  bondage, 
than  to  persuade  men  to  receive  the  oil  of  eternal  life.  One  of  the 
greatest  examples  of  rebuke  on  record,  is  the  calamity  that  visited  the 
children  who  made  open  sport  of  Elisha  while  en  route  to  Bethel.  It 
is  one  that  should  be  deeply  impressed  uj)on  the  minds  of  the  young, 
that  they  may  feel  it  necessary  to  their  existence  to  respect  the  aged, 
although  they  may  appear  at  times  somewhat  untidy,  especially  aii 
ambassador  of  the  Lord.  It  should  be  carefully  taught  them  that  they 
put  themselves  in  the  way  of  calamity,  when  they  make  the  people  of 
God  the  objects  of  ridicule.  The  children  in  question  reproachfully 
cried  after  Elisha  and  said,  "  Go  uji,  thou  bald  head  !  "  He  invoked  a 
visit  of  divine  displeasure  upon  the  children,  and  immediately  two 
female  bears  came  suddenly  upon  them  while  they  were  enjoying  the 
playful  amusement,  and  slew  forty- two  of  them.  Elisha  was  not 
22 


338  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

insulted  as  a  man,  but  as  God's  messenger  and  successor  of  Elijah, 
who  the  people  of  Bethel  knew  well,  was  to  be  respected,  even  at  the 
cost  of  many  lives.  It  is  likely  the  whole  people  round  about  Bethel 
and  throughout  eastern  Palestine  had  heard  of  the  mysterious  transla- 
tion of  Elijah,  and  many  were  glad  to  learn  he  had  gone,  for  they 
feared  him.  When  these  children  saw  the  young  man  coming,  whom 
they  had  seen  passing  along  the  highway  with  the  old  prophet,  they 
doubtless  proposed  to  have  a  little  fun  to  themselves.  But  the  Lord 
intended  that  the  man  he  appointed  to  take  the  place  of  Elijah  should 

be  reverenced. 

THE  LESSON  IT  TAUGHT. 

Therefore  the  lesson  was  a  lasting  memorial  for  those  who  did  not 
share  in  the  fate  of  those  who  attempted  to  make  sport  of  the  young 
messenger  of  the  Lord.  This  pungent  rebuke  established  the  fact  that 
Elisha  was  a  man  of  God,  and  sent  by  him  in  the  room  of  Elijah. 
This  is  not  the  only  insult  hurled  at  him  during  his  official  life  ;  but  he 
did  not  rebuke  them  in  the  same  way.  Yet  he  did  not  fail  to  rebuke 
them  in  a  manner  sufficiently  clear  to  warn  others  of  the  results 
of  wicked  insults  offered  him  by  those  who  should  have  sought  his 
counsel. 

It  is  said  that  Elisha  was  about  to  make  his  home  in  Bethel,  but 
the  conduct  of  the  inhabitants  was  so  vicious  he  suddenly  changed  his 
mind,  and  went  to  Samaria.  These  fearless  and  determined  men  went 
forth  inspired  of  the  Lord  to  bear  His  message ;  and  they  went 
dauntlessly  proclaiming  themselves  prophets  of  the.  Most  High,  and 
demanded  that  their  message  should  be  heard  and  obeyed.  But  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  all  who  claimed  to  be  sent  to  prophesy 
were  not  chosen  of  God.  There  were  false  prophets  in  those  days ; 
that  is,  men  set  themselves  up  as  prophets  whom  God  had  not  ordained, 
pretending  to  be  divinely  inspired  (2  Kings  ii.  24).  And  it  is  note- 
worthy that  a  class  of  men  have  been  found  in  every  age  of  the  church 
to  our  day,  who  claim  to  be  teachers  sent  of  God,  that  have  never  been 
appointed  by  Him.  Indeed  we  find  false  prophets  were  prominent  as 
far  back  as  the  time  of  Moses ;  they  were  so  active  in  their  work  of 
deception,  that  it  was  commanded  they  should  be  put  to  death. 

,The  Hebrews  were  often  alarmed  by  the  declarations  of  men  claim- 
ing to  be  .sent  of  God,  who  assumed  the  position  of  their  own  accord. 
Jeremiah  says,  "  The  prophets  speak  lies  in  My  name ;  I  sent  them  not, 
neither  have  I  commanded  them,  neither  spoke  I  unto  them  ;  they 
prophesy  unto  you  a  false  vision,  divination  and  things  of  naught  and 
deceit  of  their  heart."     Ezekiel  was  disturbed  by  them,  also,  and  said> 


JEZREEL   AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS.  339 

•'  The  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me  saying,  iSon  of  man,  prophesy 
against  these  prophets  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them  that  prophesy  out 
of  their  own  hearts :  Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord.  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  Woe  unto  the  foolish  prophets  that  follow  their  own  spirit  and 
have  seen  nothing.  O  Israel,  thy  prophets  are  like  the  foxes  in  the 
desert."  It  would  seem,  from  the  above  references,  that  false  prophets 
acted  so  much  like  those  whose  commission  was  from  God,  that  it  was 
not  easy  for  the  people  to  distinguish  them ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  when  we  remember  the  same  characters  exist  to-day  in  the 
person  of  many  who  attempt  to  teach  God's  word  simply  as  a  business. 
It  was  but  a  short  time  after  our  Lord  went  to  the  house  of  "  many 
mansions,"  before  false  teachers  came  forward  and  attempted  to  teach 
the  principles  of  Christianity,  who  had  not  known  the  love  of  Christ 
experimentally. 


PART  XI. 
NAZARETH. 

Nazareth  the  Home  of  Our  Lord — The  Visit  of  Jesus  to  Galilee — Phoenician 
Possessions  in  Galilee — Hamitic  Possessions  in  Galilee — Christ's  Removal 
from  Bethlehem — Childhood  of  Our  Lord  in  Nazareth — Baptism  of  Jesus — 
First  Miracle — Establishment  of  the  Christian  Church — Church  of  Annunci- 
ation— Feeding  the  Five  Thousand — Christ's  Social  Life — Why  Jesus  was 
Rejected — Mount  of  Precipitation — The  Ministiy  of  Our  Lord — Village  of 
Gath-hepper. 

NAZARETH,  THE  HOME  OF  OUR  LORD. 

NAZARETEI,  the  home  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  is  indeed,  a  village 
among  the  hills  ;  and  though  it  is  much  lower  than  its  immediate 
surroundings,  it  would  be  regarded  as  a  mountainous  city  in  many 
parts  of  our  world.  Those  approaching  Nazareth  from  Endor  or  Nain 
can  see  it  five  or  six  miles  away.  It  is  situated  on  the  slopes  of  a  basin 
formed  by  fourteen  high  hills ;  the  approach  to  it  from  all  points  is 
rough,  steep  and  fatiguing ;  but  the  view  of  the  village  is  cut  off  on 
the  north  and  northwest  on  account  of  the  mountains ;  so  that  it  is  not 
seen  until  the  top  of  the  mountain  overlooking  it  is  reached. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Nazareth  is  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous inland  towns  in  Palestine.  It  is  not  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament,  as  nothing  transpired  there  during  the  old  dispensation  con- 
necting it  with  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  and  it  is  strikingly  strange  that 
Josephus  did  not  mention  it.  There  is  no  place  in  Palestine,  except 
Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem,  that  is  more  admired  by  Christians  of  all 
lands  and  denominations  than  Nazareth,  the  home  of  our  Lord's  child- 
hood, and  where  He  remained  until  He  began  His  soul-saving  work. 
It  was  in  this  place  He  suffered  much  and  was  bitterly  opposed  by  His 
own  townsmen,  who  sought  to  kill  Him,  just  as  eagerly  as  those  who 
afterwards  nailed  Him  to  the  cross.  Nazareth  is  a  very  lively  place ; 
every  one  seems  to  be  doing  something ;  it  has  a  large  population  for 
its  size,  which  is  estimated  to  be  twelve  thousand,  of  whom^  nine 
thousand  are  Christians  and  three  thousand  are  Moslems. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  is  not  one  Jew  living  in  the  village. 
It  is  a  very  secluded  place,  which  is  regarded  as  an  essential  fitness  for 
340 


H 

PC 

< 

N 
< 
7. 


NAZARETH.  341 

tlie  scenes  of  the  history  it  contains.  Although  Nazareth  is  not  con- 
nected with  the  sacred  history  of  the  old  dispensation,  it  composes  a 
part  of  the  early  history  of  the  Christian  era,  and  is  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  visit  of  the  angel  who  brought  the  news  to  the  Virgin 
concerning  the  birth  of  Jesus.  It  is  mentioned  as  the  home  of  Joseph, 
who  was  a  carpenter,  and  was  espoused  to  an  inestimable  maiden 
named  Mary  The  Lord  made  choice  of  her  to  become  the  mother  of 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  He  promised  to  the  world  as  a  Saviour. 

Nazareth,  being  separated  from  the  scenes  of  the  busy  world,  and 
less  popular  in  public  estimation  than  the  other  villages  and  towns  in 
the  district  of  Galilee,  was  chosen  as  the  retired  home  of  the  Son  of 
God  until  He  entered  upon  the  work  of  His  holy  mission.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  this  world-renowned  village,  in  the  time  of  Joseph  and  Mary, 
were  considered  by  the  people  of  the  neighboring  communities  un- 
worthy of  friendly  recognition,  and,  therefore,  held  the  least  commu- 
nion with  them  possible.  These  people,  living  high  up  amongst  the 
hills  of  Galilee,  grew  up  rough,  and,  in  many  respects,  unmanly  ;  so 
much  were  they  given  to  gross  sins  that  they  were  unable  to  appreciate 
their  own  prophet  who  had  been  reared  among  them,  whom  they  knew 
to  be  perfect  and  exemplary  from  His  youth,  and  had  seen  Him  daily 
in  the  town,  many  of  whom,  no  doubt,  had  talked  with  Him.  It  may 
be  understood  how  they  were  regarded  by  the  more  advanced  people 
of  Galilee  and  other  portions  of  Palestine,  if  we  consider  how  greatly 
Nathaniel,  who  lived  in  Cana,  about  three  miles  from  them,  was  aston- 
ished when  he  exclaimed,  "  Can  any  good  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?" 
But  out  of  that  town,  which  was  so  very  low  in  the  estimation  of  all 
the  people  round  about,  came  the  most  holy  and  distinguished  being 
that  our  world  ever  knew. 

We  know  that  Jesus  was  not  born  in  Nazareth,  but  it  was  there  the 
first  quickening  inspiration  of  mortal  life  entered  His  infantile  body, 
and  He  lived  there  with  His  espoused  father  and  virgin  mother  after 
His  wondrous  birth  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  and  performed  the  most  of 
the  mighty  works  He  wrought  in  the  district  of  which  Nazareth  formed 
a  part.  It  was  His  custom  to  make  annual  visits  up  to  Jerusalem  to 
celebrate  the  passover,  but  He  would  soon  return  home  in  company  with 
His  parents.  The  first  bold  attack  made  to  take  the  life  of  Jesus  after 
the  great  massacre  of  the  young  children  in  Herod's  time,  and  by  his 
command,  was  by  the  people  of  Nazareth,  when  He  preached  that  short, 
pointed  and  mighty  sermon  in  the  synagogue.  Such  was  their  anger 
and  murderous  excitement,  they  sought  to  kill  Him,  and  did  succeed 
in  thrusting  Him  from  the  house  and  the  city.     They  even  led  Him  to 


342  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

the  brow  of  the  hill  now  known  as  the  Mount  of  Precipitation,  with  the 
full  intention  of  hui'ling  Him  headlong  that  they  might  dash  Him  into 
the  arms  of  death  and  thus  put  a  sudden  stop  to  His  career.  But 
Jesus,  in  some  way  unknown  to  them,  escaped  from  their  midst  and 
prevented  the  success  of  their  purpose.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the 
people  who  were  acquainted  with  Jesus  in  the  town  in  which  He  was 
reared,  knew  Him  to  be  a  most  exemplary,  pious  person  from  His 
youth  up,  or  the  officials  of  the  synagogue  would  not  have  consented 
to  allow  Him  to  officiate  on  that  memorable  Sabbath,  when  they  be- 
came so  greatly  enraged  that  attempts  were  made  to  kill  Him.  Indeed, 
it  was  commonly  known  by  those  with  whom  Jesus  came  in  daily  con- 
tact, that  His  piety  was  decidedly  more  marked  than  that  of  any  of 
the  devoutly  religious  in  the  town  ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  they  often  spoke  of  Him  as  an  example  for  others  to  follow.  As 
a  citizen,  He  strictly  conformed  to  the  law,  so  that  none  ever  com- 
plained of  Him  as  an  offender  until  He  began  to  perform  works  of 
great  power. 

It  is  likely  that  Jesus  attended  the  services  at  the  synagogue  every 
Sunday,  with  Joseph  and  His  mother  during  His  childhood  ;  and  it  is 
certain  they  made  it  a  yearly  custom  to  travel  with  Him  up  to  Jeru- 
salem to  celebrate  the  great  feast.  When  Jesus  stood  to  read  the 
Scriptures,  no  one  objected  ;  no  one  said  a  word  against  His  morals, 
notwithstanding  they  knew  just  who  He  was  and  how  He  had  spent 
much  of  His  life  as  a  townsman  with  them.  It  is  evident  from  their 
conduct  that  they  would  have  branded  Him  as  one  of  the  foulest  of 
men,  could  they  have  found  any  stains  attaching  to  His  character. 
The  keeper  of  the  Sacred  Records,  who  must  have  known  Jesus,  had 
given  Him  the  volume  containing  that  portion  of  the  prediction  of 
Isaiah  referring  to  Himself  as  the  divine  healer  of  men.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  that  was  the  passage  that  came  in  the  regular  order,  accord- 
ing to  their  custom  of  reading  the  Scriptures ;  it  wa.*  not  especially 
selected  for  Him  ;  any  other  person  who  might  have  been  requested  to 
conduct  the  reading  at  that  service  in  the  synagogue  would  have  been 
given  the  same  lesson.  Jesus  came  just  in  time  to  read  a  passage  which 
gave  Him  a  favorable  opportunity  to  introduce  Himself  as  the  person- 
age the  passage  referred  to,  and  invite  their  adherence  to  His  teach- 
ings. 

After  the  reading  was  concluded,  He  closed  the  book,  returned  it 
to  the  minister,  then  sat  down  to  address  the  eager  listeners.  There 
was  something  so  very  inviting  in  the  tone  of  the  Saviour's  voice  that 
every  one  present  was  drawn  firmly  towards  Him,  and  all  listened  with 


NAZARETH.  343 

the  closest  attention  to  His  remarks.  According  to  custom  in  those 
days,  those  conducting  the  services  stood  to  read,  and  sat  to  deliver  the 
address.  Our  Lord  did  this  in  keeping  with  the  form.  AVhen  begin- 
ning to  explain  the  passage  He  had  read,  the  first  utterances  surprised 
them  beyond  recovery.  He  said  to  them,  "  This  day  is  the  Scriptures 
fulfilled  in  your  ears."  When  He  began  to  unfold  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  they  had  heard  so  clearly,  those  present  knew  He  was  refer- 
ring to  Himself.  Then  they  became  greatly  incensed,  and  were  ready 
to  murder  Him,  without  even  the  form  of  a  trial.  This  action  proved 
them  to  be  more  lawless  than  those  who  crucified  Him,  for  they  con- 
sented to  have  a  trial,  although  their  purpose  was  fixed  before  the 
authorities  took  the  case  under  consideration.  It  was  the  Sabbath-day, 
which  was  supposed  to  be  most  sacredly  observed  by  the  Jews, 
and  yet  they  were  so  indignant  that  their  respect  for  the  sacred  day 
was  overruled,  so  that  by  unanimous  consent  they  attempted  to  lynch 
Him  in  a  most  brutal  manner.  They  considered  it  a  crime  for  a  man 
to  work  his  ox  on  the  Sabbath,  but  they  could  commit  murder  without 
remorse. 

How  stinging  must  have  been  the  words  of  Jesus  to  those  viciously 
desperate  people  when  He  told  them  the  thoughts  they  were  pondering 
in  their  hearts.  "Ye  will  surely  say  to  me,  Physician,  heal  thyself; 
whatsoever  we  have  heard  done  in  Capernaum,  do  also  here  in  thy 
country."  It  may  be  seen  they  had  heard  of  His  work  of  healing 
down  in  the  capital  city  of  Galilee,  and  were  of  the  opinion  some 
miracle  would  be  performed  by  Him  at  the  home  of  His  childhood, 
but  Jesus  gave  them  to  understand  the  inutility  of  a  miraculous  work 
among  them  by  referring  to  the  prophet  Elijah,  that  while  there  were 
many  widows  in  Israel  who  perished  by  the  great  famine,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Lord  to  go  over  to  Sarepta  and  perform  a  miracle  at 
the  home  of  a  poor  widow,  which  increased  her  meal  and  oil  until  the 
rain  fell.  She  was  a  heathen,  and  had  not  been  taught  to  fear  the 
Lord,  as  had  been  the  widows  in  Israel.  Also,  He  called  attention  to 
the  many  lepers  in  Israel,  and  but  one  person  was  cured  by  Elisha 
and  he  was  a  Syrian.  The  inference  is  that  He  had  lived  in  their 
midst  from  childhood,  and  His  life,  as  seen  by  them,  was  enough  to 
convince  them,  to  believe  without  having  to  perform  miracles. 

When  our  Lord  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to  Galilee,  He 
did  not  go  immediately  to  Nazareth  to  introduce  His  divine  mission, 
but  went  to  other  parts  of  the  province,  preaching  and  teaching  in  the 
synagogues,  and  was  glorified  in  all.  From  the  beginning  of  His 
ministry  His  fame  spread  so  among  the  people  that  they  sought  Him. 


344  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Therefore  when  the  time  canie  fur  Him  to  return  home,  the  people  had 
received  information  of  His  wonderful  power,  and  this  should  have 
made  them  the  more  anxious  to  prepare  in  every  way  possible  that 
would  give  evidence  of  their  faith  in  Him.  But  selfishness  and  unbe- 
lief overcame  them ;  so  much  did  they  manifest  their  opposition  to 
Christ  they  were  ready  to  dash  out  His  precious  life  among  the  rocks. 
This  action  severed  the  domestic  relation  with  Him  and  the  people  of 
Nazareth,  and  only  on  one  more  occasion  did  He  pay  them  a  spiritual 
visit.  Then  He  could  do  nothiug  for  them  because  of  their  infidelity 
except  heal  a  few  sick  folks  by  laying  His  hands  upon  them.  It  may 
have  been  an  insincere  motive  that  prompted  the  people  to  have  Christ 
conduct  the  service.  They,  no  doubt,  were  more  anxious  to  see  some 
wonderful  miracle  performed  than  to  hear  the  word  of  God  expounded. 
It  should  be  remembered,  the  people  did  not  have  Jesus  conduct  the 
service  on  the  Sabbath  He  entered  the  synagogue  because  they  con- 
sidered Him  a  master  in  Israel,  for  it  was  not  an  unusual  thing  for 
persons  who  were  not  rabbis  to  address  assemblages  in  synagogues.  It 
was  a  custom  of  long  standing  for  men  known  to  be  strictly  pious  to 
be  invited  by  the  officiating  ministers  to  read  the  Scriptures  and 
explain  them  to  the  people.  Therefore  Jesus  was  not  given  an  extra 
honor  by  being  permitted  to  do  so ;  any  other  truly  pious  person 
would  have  been  invited  to  do  the  same.  The  people  were  not  inclined 
to  bestow  any  act  of  high  honor  upon  Christ  that  they  would  not  wil- 
lingly confer  upon  others  whom  they  considered "  worthy.  Those 
authors  who  would  have  us  believe  that  Jesus  was  accepted  as  a  rabbi 
because  he  was  permitted  to  read  and  expound  the  Scriptures,  are  at 
least  guilty  of  false  representation,  or  of  a  blunder  caused  by  prema- 
ture conclusions. 

St.  Paul  was  invited  under  the  same  rule  at  Antioch,  in  Pisidia, 
as  was  our  Lord  at  Nazareth  and  other  places  The  people  knew  Paul 
was  a  very  pious  man,  and  from  his  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  was 
able  to  explain  them  ;  they,  therefore,  asked  him  to  conduct  a  part  of 
the  service.  The  home  people  heard  of  the  great  satisfaction  Christ 
had  given  many  in  other  synagogues,  and  the  wonders  He  did  among 
the  people,  and  having,  as  has  been  stated,  a  knowledge  of  His  piety, 
they  became  anxious  to  hear  Him.  The  whole  life  of  our  Redeemer 
was  simple,  which  is  a  characteristic  not  generally  common  with 
rabbis,  and  upon  no  occasion  did  He  allow  the  people  to  be  misled  as 
to  who  He  was.  It  is  true,  in  the  general  acceptation  of  the  word, 
Christ  was  a  rabbi,  but  not  in  the  peculiar  sense  it  implies,  and  it  is, 
therefore,  unfair  to   intimate  that  our  Lord  accepted  the  appointment 


NAZARETH.  345 

to  address  the  people  at  Nazareth  under  the  guise  of  a  Jewish  rabbi 
iu  the  sense  in  which  such  officials  were  known.  For  while  we  must 
freely  admit  our  Lord  was  a  rabbi  in  the  most  exalted  degree,  He  was 
not  so  recognized  at  home  by  the  people  among  whom  He  lived.  It  is 
plain  that  Christ  made  no  pretentions  of  the  kind,  for  as  soon  as  He 
began  explaining  the  Scriptures  He  endeavored  to  establish  the  fact  of 
His  mission  as  Messiah,  and  not  as  an  ordinary  rabbi.  He  knew  what 
a  tumultuous  uproar  His  remarks  would  produce,  but  He  had  the  duty 
to  discharge  just  at  this  time  and  place. 

CANA  OF  GALILEE. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  Jesus  did  everything  at  the  time  it  should  be 
done,  fearless  of  what  might  follow,  so  that  nothing  that  should  have 
been  done  to-day  was  postponed  until  to-morrow.  Therefore,  each  day 
had  a  finished  record  of  all  that  belonged  to  it  so  far  as  the  work  of 
Christ  was  concerned.  The  beginning  of  our  Lord's  miracles,  at  Cana 
and  Capernaum,  were  great  agents  in  causing  His  fame  to  be  generally 
circulated.  The  first  miracle  was  wholly  unexpected,  as  He  had  not 
fully  entered  into  the  work  of  demonstrating  His  divinity  through 
miraculous  developments.  It  may  be  said  the  wedding  at  Cana  was 
the  most  illustrious  one  known  to  the  country.  Two  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished people  in  the  world  were  there.  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus, 
the  most  important  woman  of  the  globe,  was  invited,  and  went  over  from 
Nazareth  to  attend  it.  It  may  be  that  one  of  the  contracting  parties  was  a 
relative  or  a  very  dear  friend  of  the  family.  Our  Lord  was  also  present, 
having  been  absent  from  His  mother  preparing  for  the  work  before 
Him  (Mark  vi.  5  )  He  joined  her  at  the  marriage  at  Cana.  The 
presence  of  Jesus  and  Mary  made  this  occasion  the  most  memorable  of 
any  wedding  on  record.  It  was  likely  this  is  the  only  one  our  Lord 
attended  while  on  earth,  and  it  is  certain  there  never  was  a  greater 
surprise  at  a  feast  than  that  caused  by  the  miracle  He  wrought,  which 
changed  water  into  wine.  It  was  conducted  in  private  ;  even  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  feast  was  ignorant  of  what  had  taken  place,  and  supposed 
the  best  wine  had  been  retained  to  serve  last.  The  bridegroom  was 
just  as  ignorant  of  the  miracle  as  the  governor ;  but  those  who  were 
serving  the  wine  knew  why  ic  was  brought  to  the  company  last. 

This  miracle,  which  was  witnessed  by  the  servants  and  the  few 
disciples  Jesus  had  chosen,  made  a  deep  impression  upon  ihem,  so  that 
their  increasing  faith  in  the  God-man  became  greatly  strengthened.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind,  this  increase  of  wine  at  the  feast  was  not  to 
gratify  the  appetite  of  wine-drinkers,  but  to  open  the  eyes  of  those 


346  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

who  saw  the  miracle,  and  others  who  would  hear  of  it,  to  the  fact  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  He  of  whom  Moses  in  the  law  and  the  prophets 
did  write.  It  was  wine  made  of  pure  water.  It  will  not  be  surprising 
to  learn  there  are  three  places  in  Galilee  claimed  to  be  the  ancient  Cana 
(St.  John  ii.  1-11.),  where  the  miracle  of  the  changing  of  water  to 
wine  was  wrought.  It  is  an  ordinary  thing  in  Palestine,  when  the 
least  opportunity  is  presented  for  the  over-anxious  people,  who  wish  to 
have  the  honor  of  living  in  the  place  where  something  miraculous  or 
wonderful  occurred  by  our  Lord  or  His  disciples,  to  dispute  the  right 
of  one  place,  that  the  one  they  favor  may  be  acknowledged  the  proper 
site  of  the  event. 

At  Reinch,  a  C'hristian  village,  but  a  shor  t  distance  from  Nazareth, 
on  the  Tiberias  road,  is  a  spring  called  Ain-Kana,  and  this  place  has 
been  located  by  a  few  persons  as  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  miracle. 
There  is  another  place,  now  in  ruins,  eight  miles  north  of  Nazareth, 
called  Khurbet-Kana,  and  the  third  place,  called  Kefr  Cana,  is  situ- 
ated three  or  four  miles  from  Nazareth,  on  the  direct  road  to  Ti- 
berias, and  is  generally  settled  upon  as  the  true  site  of  the  miraculous 
change  of  "  water  to  wine."  It  stands  on  an  incline  bordering  a  nar- 
row valley,  and  is  regarded  as  a  very  progressive  village,  nearly  sur- 
rounded by  fruit  trees,  such  as  figs,  pomegranates  and  wild  olives. 
About  one  hundred  or  more  yards  from  the  west  end  of  the  village  is 
a  copious  fountain,  which  supplies  the  inhabitants  with  an  abundance 
of  water.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  identical  fountain  from  which 
the  water  was  taken  for  the  making  of  the  wine.  This  opinion  is  well 
founded,  for  there  is  no  other  place  about  the  village  to  get  water,  nor 
anywhere  in  the  neighborhood. 

There  is  a  small  church  near  the  east  end  of  the  village,  which, 
according  to  tradition,  stands  on  the  site  of  the  house  in  which  the 
marriage-feast  was  held.  It  is  divided  by  a  partition  into  two  distinct 
churches,  owned  by  the  Greeks  and  Latins  respectively.  In  the  apart- 
ment belonging  to  the  latter  are  several  old  relics,  such  as  old  pictures. 
Several  of  these  old  pictures  are  hanging  around  the  walls.  Near  the 
altar  are  two  ancient  water-pots,  very  large.  These  are  said  to  be  the 
vessels  into  which  the  water  was  poured  when  our  Lord  made  the  wine. 
It  may  be  understood  from  this  badly-gotten  up  tradition,  how  unlikely 
many  things  are  that  the  authorities  would  have  strangers  believe. 
The  officials  were  very  kind  to  us,  not  only  in  showing  the  old  relics, 
but  doing  other  things  to  make  us  comfortable.  On  the  west  of  Cana 
a  short  distance,  there  is  a  village  called  by  the  natives  El-Mesh-hed. 
It  is  supposed  to  be  the  ancient  Gath-hepher,  sometimes  called  Gettah- 


NAZARETH.  347 

hepher,  and  is  said  to  be  the  birth-place  of  the  prophet  Jonah.  An 
old  tradition,  sanctioned  by  Jews,  Christians  and  Moslems,  locates  the 
prophet's  tomb  on  a  hill,  which  is  conspicuously  seen  from  the  road 
near  the  village.  The  action  on  the  part  of  our  Lord's  townsmen 
made  it  necessary  that  He  should  teach  and  preach  in  other  cities  in 
Galilee  instead  of  His  own  home. 

Our  Lord  did  visit  towns  and  cities  in  southern  Palestine,  the  dis- 
trict of  Samaria,  and  visited  some  of  the  people  east  of  the  Jordan  ; 
but  the  greater  portion  of  His  time  was  spent  in  Galilee,  and  Galilee 
received  His  first  visit  after  the  resurrection ;  for  He  left  Jerusalem 
before  all  of  His  disciples  saw  Him  and  went  to  the  district  where  so 
much  of  His  time  and  labors  had  been  spent.  It  may  seem  strange 
to  many,  that  during  the  whole  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  He  did  not 
make  a  visit  to  the  little  town  where  he  was  born.  Bethlehem  is  only 
six  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and  Jesus  went  to  the  latter  several  times 
from  the  time  of  His  childhood  to  that  of  His  crucifixion,  and  passed 
to  the  east  of  His  birth-place,  coming  from  Jericho  to  Bethany,  but 
never  saw  the  rock-cut  manger  after  Joseph  fled  with  Him  and  the 
Virgin  into  Egypt ;  but  one  thing  is  sure,  our  Lord  left  a  most  hopeful 
influence  there,  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  are  strong  believers  in 
Him ;  so  staunch  are  they  in  the  faith  that  He  is  the  Messiah,  Moham- 
medanism has  no  footing  there. 

It  is  evident  our  Lord  loved  Galilee  most  dearly,  notwithstanding 
the  insults  that  were  hurled  at  Him  from  many  of  those  who  lived  there 
and  saw  His  mighty  works.  Therefore,  for  some  reason  unknown  to 
man  He  returned  there  very  soon  after  His  resurrection.  The  angel 
who  rolled  the  stone  from  the  sepulchre  told  the  women  to  inform  the 
disciples,  their  Lord  had  gone  over  into  Galilee  and  they  should  see 
Him  there.  Having  heard  this,  the  eleven  went  over  there  and 
assembled  upon  the  mountain  that  had  been  designated  by  their  Master, 
and  saw  Him.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  Galilee,  which  means 
"  round,"  was  selected  as  one  of  the  districts  for  a  city  of  refuge.  There 
were  six  of  these  cities,  three  on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan  and  three 
on  the  west ;  the  one  in  the  north  was  Kedesh  in  Mt.  Naphtalim.  The 
four  northern  tribes  inhabited  the  district  of  Galilee,  which  embraced 
the  ti'act  of  country  between  the  upper  Jordan  valley  (including  Lake 
Meram)  and  Lake  Tiberias  on  the  east,  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
on  the  west,  and  between  the  mountains  of  Samaria  on  the  south  and 
Mt.  Lebanon  on  the  north. 

The  four  tribes  living  in  this  territory  were,  Issachar  on  the  south, 
occupying  the  most  of  the  beautiful  plain  of  Esdraelon;  Asher  on  the 


348  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

west,  along  the  plains  of  Acre  and  Phoenicia  and  the  hills  adjoining ; 
Zebulun  and  Napthali  possessed  the  great  tract  of  hill  country,  the 
territory  of  each  opening  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  This  part  of  the  dis- 
trict contained  the  places  in  which  Christ  did  the  most  of  His  works 
of  power.  Therefore,  it  is  readily  observed  how  definitely  the  pro- 
phetic declaration  representing  the  presence  and  labors  of  Jesus,  in  the 
territory  mainly  controlled  by  those  two  tribes,  were  described  when 
He  foretold  the  joy  that  would  enthuse  the  people  on  account  of  His 
visit  there.  "  The  land  of  Zebulun,  and  the  land  of  Naphtalim  toward 
the  sea,  beyond  Jordan,  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles :  the  people  which 
sat  in  darkness  saw  great  light ;  and  to  them  which  sat  in  the  regions 
and  shadow  of  death  light  is  sprung  up."     (Matt,  xxviii.  7,  16,  17; 

Matt.  iv.  15,  16.) 

GALILEE. 

The  province  of  Galilee  was  important  in  developing  the  general 
history  of  the  Israelites,  and  was  one  of  the  most  desirable  divisions 
allotted  to  them.  Much  of  the  land  was  highly  productive  and  afforded 
excellent  pastures  for  the  numerous  cattle  owned  by  the  people  within 
its  boundary.  The  references  made  to  this  district  in  the  Scriptures 
strongly  indicate  its  importance.  Speaking  of  Issachar  it  says,  "  His 
rest  is  good  ;  "  "  The  land  is  pleasant ;  "  "Rejoice,  O  Issachar,  in  thy 
tent."  Zebulun,  nestling  amid  the  hills  of  lower  Galilee,  "  offers  sac- 
rifices of  abundant  flocks  nourished  by  their  pastures."  "Asher  yields 
royal  dainties ; "  "  His  bread  is  fat."  Naphtali  is  described  as 
"satisfied  with  favors  and  with  the  blessings  of  the  Lord." 

The  portion  of  Asher  bordered  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  the  plain 
and  coast  belonged  to  the  Phoenicians,  and  the  portion  of  territory 
under  their  jurisdiction  occupied  by  Asher  was  by  their  permission. 
Those  people,  in  whose  district  thousands  of  Israelites  lived  on  amica- 
ble terms,  were  of  Hamitic  descent,  owned  twenty  cities  in  Galilee 
which  the  Israelites  inhabited  and  paid  tribute  for  their  privilege  to 
Hiram,  king  of  Tyre.  This  will  be  seen  more  fully  in  another  chap- 
ter. There  existed,  as  far  back  as  the  Old  Testament  times,  a  cold 
feeling  between  that  portion  of  the  Hebrews  who  lived  in  Jerusalem, 
Shechem,  Samaria  and  their  environments,  and  those  living  up'  north, 
especially  in  Nazareth.  It  is  likely  the  revolt  was  the  premature  cause 
of  much  of  the  bad  feeling  in  connection  with  the  change  of  customs 
and  other  minor  things  that  assisted  in  keeping  the  ill-feeling  alive. 
Isaiah,  in  speaking  of  the  district,  calls  it  "  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles," 
and  represents  the  people  as  sitting  in  darkness  and  in  the  region  and 
shadow  of  death.     Such  were  the  extensive  social  relations  between  the 


NAZAiRETH.  S49 

Israelites  and  Gentiles,  that  the  pure  Hebrew  had  become  much  broken 
in  the  time  of  our  Lord  (Gen.  xlix.  20-21  ;  Deut.  xxxiii.  23-25). 

CHILDHOOD  OF  OUR  LORD    IN  NAZARETH. 

How  marvelous  are  the  ways  of  God,  and  how  tenderly  is  His  care 
made  known  to  the  children  of  men  !  When  the  King  of  kings  came 
into  our  world.  He  appeared  first  in  a  small  town,  that  was  regarded 
as  worthy  of  but  little  notice,  notwithstanding  it  is  within  six  miles  of 
the  capital  city.  Christ  came  humble  and  poor,  preferring  rather  a 
place  among  the  beasts  than  the  inn,  and  a  stony  manger  for  His  bed 
rather  than  the  best  chamber  that  could  be  found  in  the  little  town. 
When  Christ  Avas  removed  from  Bethlehem  permanently,  it  was  by 
order  of  the  Lord  to  Joseph  to  make  a  hasty  flight  into  Egypt  by 
night  that  He  might  safely  hide  the  young  child  from  the  massacre  of 
King  Herod.  And  when  by  the  will  of  the  Father  He  left  the  land 
of  Egypt,  Joseph  must  take  up  his  abode  again  at  his  home  in  Naza- 
reth, and  Veep  the  child  Jesus  in  seclusion  for  a  time  from  the  outside 
world.  Therefore  Jesus  was  not  known  as  God-man  to  the  people  in 
whose  midst  He  lived,  for  neither  Joseph  nor  Mary  declared  to  their 
townsmen  the  wondrous  events  that  attended  His  birth,  nor  how  they 
had  preserved  Him  from  the  decree  of  King  Herod  by  fleeing  to 
Egypt,  having  been  ordered  by  an  angel  to  do  so.  If  they  had  told 
such  a  wonderful  story  to  the  people,  they  would  have  had  no  confidence 
in  their  words,  and  at  the  same  time  there  would  have  been  an  ill- 
feeling  existing  of  a  most  disastrous  character. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  the  home  selected  for  our  Lord  was  in  a  town 
whose  inhabitants  were  regarded  by  other  communities  as  the  worst  of 
all  people  in  the  land.  Yet  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  His  Son  should 
grow  to  manhood  in  this  place  and  preserve  Himself  spotless.  He 
could  have  lived  elsewhere  with  the  same  influence  upon  the  world. 
He  could  have  been  reared  in  Bethlehem,  where  He  was  born,  or  in 
Jerusalem,  where  He  was  crucified ;  but  it  was  not  so  ordered  iii 
Heaven.  Our  Lord  was  the  humblest  being  known  to  the  world  ;  for 
though  He  was  the  Son  of  the  Highest  Being,  He  became  so  humble 
that  it  was  not  offensive  to  accompany  Joseph  to  his  carpenter  shop 
and  assist  him  in  such  things  as  He  was  requested  to  do. 

When  but  a  very  small  child.  He  was  no  doubt  often  found  going 
in  company  with  Mary,  His  affectionate  mother,  to  the  fountain  to 
draw  water,  and  many  times  His  parents  took  Him  over  to  Jerusalem 
to  witness  the  yearly  feast.  From  Nazareth  our  Lord  went  to  the 
Jordan  to  be  baptized  of  John,  and  after  a  temptation  of  the  greatest 


350  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

test,  returned  with  a  few  followers  to  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  performed 
His  first  miracle  ;  from  there  He  went  to  Capernaum.  His  life  then 
began  to  be  sought  by  those  whom  He  came  to  save  ;  but  with  all  the 
opposition  produced  by  adversaries,  our  Lord  was  willing  to  bear  all 
the  impositions  of  men  that  He  might  open  their  eyes  to  the  light  of 
immortality.  Since  the  events  connected  with  the  life  of  Jesus  in  Naz- 
areth have  been  made  known,  all  Christendom  has  turned  its  attention 
towards  the  little  isolated  town  where  He  spent  the  most  of  His  life. 

When  the  Crusaders  were  in  possession  of  Palestine,  they  built  a 
Christian  church  there,  which  was  afterwards  destroyed  by  the  Turks 
when  they  came  into  power.  The  Christians  made  several  efforts  after- 
wards to  establish  themselves  there  again,  but  could  not  succeed  until 
the  eighteenth  century;  but  when  they  Avere  permitted  to  reorganize 
themselves,  they  took  a  firm  stand  (it  seems)  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  their  work  has  been  crowned  with  great  success.  It  is,  therefore, 
a  pleasant  fact  to  note,  that  three-fourths  of  the  inhabitants  of  Nazareth 
are  Christians,  and  no  barriers  are  fixed  to  interfere  with  their  religious 
devotions.  The  various  denominations  do  not  meet  under  the  same 
roof  as  in  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem  and  Cana ;  therefore,  they  are  at 
peace.  It  seems  impossible  for  peace  to  obtain  where  these  different 
denominations  meet  under  the  same  roof,  notwithstanding  they  have 
separate  apartments ;  many  serious  troubles  have  occurred,  especially 
with  the  Greek  and  Latin  monks.  The  latter  have  the  greater  reli- 
gious influence;  Iheir  church  and  convent  are  the  chief  places  of  inte- 
rest, both  to  tourists  and  pilgrims.  They  are  surrounded  by  high  walls. 
The  Church  of  the  Annunciation  is  the  most  important  of  all  the  visit- 
ing places  in  the  town.  It  is  really  astonishing  to  know  how  eagerly 
the  people  attend  the  services,  and  with  what  sincere  devotion  they  bow 
in  holy  reverence  to  Him  who  was  once  one  of  the  humble  citizens  of 
the  town,  and  was  compelled  to  abandon  it  for  doing  good.  It  may 
have  been  clearly  seen  that  the  prophet  saw  the  results  of  good  works 
when  he  advised  us  to  cast  our  bread  upon  the  waters,  for  it  should  be 
found  after  many  days.  Our  Lord  did  this  on  the  Sabbath,  He  con- 
ducted the  service  in  the  synagogue,  and  now  it  is  found  throughout 
the  town.  In  the  time  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  but  few  could  be  seen 
in  Nazareth  who  consented  to  follow  Him  ;  but  at  present,  nine  thou- 
sand profess  His  name  and  publicly  acknowledge  Him  as  their  God. 
In  His  time,  the  people  of  Nazareth  were  mean,  murderous,  and  a  by- 
word for  all  other  communities ;  to-day,  they  are  peaceable  and  exem- 
plary. Then,  it  was  generally  thought  that  nothing  good  could  come 
out  of  Nazareth  ;  now,  it  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  Christian 


NAZARETH.  351 

communities  in  Palestine  ;  then,  the  people  sat  in  great  darkness  ;  now, 
the  light  of  blessed  hope  shines  upon  them  ;  then,  they  did  not  want 
Christ  for  their  Saviour ;  now,  they  cling  to  Him. 

The  province  of  Galilee  abounded  with  rich  pastures,  olive  groves, 
and  other  pleasant  attractions,  which  drew  many  people  from  other  parts 
to  it.  Josephus,  who  was  a  chief  militaiy  officer  shortly  after  the  time 
of  our  Lord,  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  Galilee  had  a  teeming 
population,  and  was  dotted  over  with  towns  and  villages.  He  was  of 
the  opinion  that  an  army  of  one  hundred  thousand  men  might  have 
been  raised  from  its  male  population,  who  were  able  to  do  service  in 
war.  The  labors  of  our  Lord  in  Galilee  must  have  been  immense,  for 
He  visited  all  the  towns  and  cities  in  the  province,  teaching  and 
preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  How  tremendous 
must  have  been  the  multitude  that  followed  Him !  At  one  time  He  fed 
five  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children,  and  we  feel  satisfied 
in  venturing  the  opinion  the  latter  classes  outnumbered  the  former. 
It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  there  was  at  some  period  of  His 
ministry  a  greater  number  following  Him  than  the  above-named.  It 
may  be  readily  inferred  that  our  Lord  spent  a  busy  life  from  the  time 
He  entered  upon  the  work  of  His  mission  until  it  was  fully  accom- 
plished. 

Jesus  made  three  distinct  itineraries  through  Galilee,  on  which 
occasions  He  was  kept  constantly  busy  from  the  early  morning  to  late 
in  the  night,  preaching,  teaching  and  healing  all  kinds  of  diseases  and 
casting  out  devils.  At  one  time  His  near  relatives  felt  concerned  as 
to  His  sanity,  and  went  in  search  for  Him,  with  the  intention  of  urg- 
ing Him  to  retire  from  His  work  and  return  home,  but  such  was  the 
importance  of  His  engagements,  the  persuasive  entreaties  of  His  fond 
mother  could  not  influence  Him  to  abandon  it.  This  was  not  that  He 
feared  to  return  to  Nazareth,  where  He  had  been  so  shamefully  opposed, 
for  when  the  time  came  for  Him  to  go  to  those  wicked  people  again 
He  went  boldly.  But  the  people  were  just  as  blind  to  their  welfare 
as  when  they  attempted  to  kill  Him. 

NAZARETH— OUR  LORD'S  INCREASING  FAME. 

Jesus  loved  the  people  of  Nazareth.  He  would  not  forsake  them, 
even  if  they  did  threaten  His  life,  but  returned  there  to  teach  them 
lessons  of  peace,  that  they  might  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and 
finding  them  unyieldingly  obstinate,  He  left  them.  How  sadly  stub- 
born they  were !  Jesus  had  gained  great  fame  when  He  made  His  last 
visit  to  Nazareth,  for  it  had  spread  over  into  Syria,  Phoenicia,  and  all  the 


352  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

country  round  about  Galilee,  and  it  is  highly  probable  several  people 
living  at  His  home  had  been  amongst  those  who  followed  Him  in  other 
portions  of  the  province,  and  witnessed  some  of  the  mighty  works  He 
did.  Yet  their  sins  had  so  deeply  overshadowed  them,  they  closed 
their  eyes  and  stopped  their  ears,  so  that  they  could  neither  see  nor 
hear.  Finding  nothing  could  be  done,  Jesus  left  them.  It  must  have 
been  a  sad  time  with  our  Lord  when  He  thought  of  the  final  state  of 
those  who  refused  life,  and  though  no  tears  were  seen  coursing  down 
His  cheeks,  there  w^ere  deep  emotions  disturbing  His  soul.  The  people 
of  Nazareth,  or  a  portion  of  them,  seem  to  have  been  religiously  in- 
clined, for  they  had  a  synagogue,  in  which  services  were  regularly 
conducted  by  the  proper  officials.  This  would  suggest  at  least  the 
existence  of  a  species  of  the  formal  piety  current  amongst  the  Jews 
in  those  days;  therefore  the  people  were  not  entirely  without  moral 
precepts  and  teachers.  But  it  is  apparent  the  example  was  sadly 
wanting. 

It  is  also  known,  the  whole  people  could  not  be  justly  pronounced 
as  singularly  depraved,  although  the  city  was  universally  scorned  ;  for 
we  know  Joseph,  Mary  and  their  children  were  exceptions,  and 
several  others,  no  doubt,  whom  they  associated  with,  were  truly  pious. 
But  the  great  majority  were  both  wucked  and  vicious  The  grounds 
upon  which  they  founded  their  objection  to  Jesus,  was  from  the  fact 
that  He  was  a  fellow-townsman.  This  seems  to  be  the  view  of  our 
Lord  as  to  the  situation,  and  we  know  His  views  were  always  correct. 
It  is  also  remarkable,  He  did  not  condemn  them  harshly  at  the  time 
the  people  rejected  Him,  but  simply  said,  "No  prophet  is  acceptable 
in  his  own  country,"  It  is  likely  He  was  consistently  familiar  with 
the  young  people  of  the  neighborhood  of  His  home,  for  when  they  were 
listening  to  His  discourse,  they  marvelled  at  the  knowledge  He  pos- 
sessed, for  they  knew  Him  as  Joseph's  son,  and  knew^  all  the  family. 
It  is  certain,  not  one  who  knew  Him  could  say  a  word  against  His 
character  in  any  way,  or  they  would  have  done  it  while  their  rage  was 
kindled  against  Him. 

HIS  SOCIAL   LIFE. 

The  older  people  (many  of  them)  were  associates  of  Joseph  and 
Mary,  and  in  keeping  with  the  custom  of  friends,  they  often  called  to 
pay  them  a  visit,  taking  their  younger  children  with  them,  as  is  usual 
to  the  present  time  ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely  some  of  their  children  were 
about  the  same  age  of  Jesus.  Therefore,  many  formed  His  acquaint- 
ance in  early  childhood,  and  grew  up  to  manhood,  somewhat  familiar 


NAZARETH.  353 

with  Him.  It  was  customary  also  for  those  living  at  a  distance 
from  Jerusalem  to  go  up  in  companies  to  the  annual  feasts,  as  the 
pilgrims  do  now  on  the  return  of  the  Easter  celebration  each  year.  It 
is  known  the  parents  of  Jesus  took  Him  with  them  from  time  to  time 
in  company  with  their  friends  and  children.  Hence  the  people,  young 
and  old,  had  many  opportunities  of  seeing  Jesus  and  knowing  some- 
thing of  His  piety.  If  He  had  been  reared  in  obscurity  and  had  come 
before  the  public  suddenly,  they  would  have  more  readily  received 
Him,  even  as  they  did  John  the  Baptist.  But  Jesus  was  objected  to 
because  He  was  a  fe'low-townsman  and  was  known  It  really  should 
have  been  the  chief  reason  for  accepting  Him  as  Christ,  knowing  as 
they  did  He  was  correct  in  a'l  His  ways  from  childhood  and  that  none 
of  the  young  folks  in  the  town  had  such  a  clean  and  sinless  record  as 
Jesus.     But  He  came  to  His  own,  and  they  rejected  Him. 

It  was  not  a  question  of  a  popular  city  or  town  with  our  Lord  in 
selecting  a  home  on  earth,  but  putting  Himself  in  touch  with  the 
poorest  and  most  depraved  of  mankind.  When  the  life  of  Jesus  is 
well  studied  and  understood,  it  will  be  seen  that  His  great  condescen- 
sion to  come  into  our  world  and  make  His  home  in  a  city  so  wretchedly 
sinful  as  Nazareth,  was  an  evidence  stronger  than  can  be  described, 
that  "  He  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners ; "  and  that  He  might 
accomplish  the  purpose  in  view.  He  consented  to  become  poor,  dis- 
honored and  humbled.  The  lesson  we  learn  from  our  Lord's  humilia- 
tion is  this  (St.  John  i.  45),  He  became  meek,  so  that  none  would  feel 
embarrassed  in  approaching  Him.  The  king  and  peasant  alike  might 
come  without  feeling  unwelcome.  He  knew  the  masses  of  the  people 
composing  our  wor  d  were  poor,  and  had  no  social  relations  with  the 
rich;  therefore,  to  come  to  the  latter  adorned  in  costly  garments  would 
be  to  estrange  Himself  from  the  very  people  who  would  be  more  likely 
to  accept  the  kingdom  of  God  first. 

Riches  are  a  tremendous  barrier  against  the  full  exercise  of  sympathy 
for  the  condition  of  the  poor.  For  a  person  who  fully  understands  the 
situation  of  his  fellow  must  have  some  practical  idea  of  it.  Our  Lord 
became  experimentally  conversant  with  the  great  masses  of  those  in  a 
state  of  absolute  poverty  by  becoming  poor  Himself.  It  is  known  His 
parents  were  in  humble  circumstances.  Joseph  was  a  poor  man,  work- 
ing daily  at  the  carpenter-bench,  to  sustain  himself  and  family;  and  in 
those  days  it  was  not  an  easy  thing  for  a  poor  mechanic  to  move  his 
family  and  effects  into  a  strange  city  and  establish  himself  in  business. 
Therefore,  it  was  important  he  should  remain  where  he  was  generally 
known.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  our  Lord's  home  was  near  the  place 
23 


354  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

where  the  majority  of  men  lived  whom  He  chose  to  become  His  dis- 
ciples, and  where  the  most  of  His  mighty  works  were  done.  There- 
fore, He  was  perfectly  willing  to  endure  the  many  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  life,  both  as  to  society  and  luxuries,  that  the  gospel  might  be 
preached  to  the  poor.  And  should  we  notice  the  class  of  people  who 
express  the  greatest  fondness  for  the  cause  so  richly  purchased  by  the 
Saviour,  and  whose  devotions  for  His  cause  are  the  most  earnest,  we 
will  see  at  once  the  wisdom  He  displayed  in  providing  for  the  poor, 
that  the  "  word  of  life  "  might  be  preached  to  them. 

The  life  of  Jesus  is  without  doubt  a  tremendous  example  to  those 
who  prefer  to  follow  Him.  It  admonishes  them  to  become  meek,  that 
their  influence  may  reach  the  poor  ;  that  their  preaching  should  be  to 
win  souls  to  Christ,  whether  their  hearers  be  rich  or  poor  ;  and  they 
are  not  to  use  the  gospel  as  a  medium  through  which  their  talents  may 
be  displayed  or  education  admired,  as  we  fear  many  do,  but  to  preach 
the  word  in  its  simplicity,  having  in  view  the  same  purpose  our  Lord 
had.  He  was  not  satisfied  in  having  the  poor  know  the  gospel  was 
preached  only,  but  that  it  was  preached  to  them  in  the  same  manner  and 
for  the  very  purpose  it  was  preached  to  the  rich.  Nor  are  those  who 
stand  in  Christ's  stead  to  content  themselves  with  having  a  rich  and 
fashionable  congregation  to  preach  to  from  time  to  time,  but  they 
should  seek  the  poor  and  lowly,  and  even  the  meanest  men,  that  they 
may  bring  them  to  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

If  the  world  is  to  be  saved,  those  who  stand  as  watchmen  on  the 
walls  of  Zion  must  take  the  same  general  method  Jesus  took  to  save  it. 
They  are  not  to  feel  themselves  too  important  to  go  down  to  men  who 
are  held  in  derision,  in  popular  estimation,  as  were  the  people  of  Naza- 
reth, among  Avhom  Jesus  lived  the  most  of  His  life  It  is  absolutely 
strange  that  many  men  who  claim  to  be  masters  in  Israel,  sent  of  God 
to  preach  His  word  to  men,  are  so  very  select  in  their  pretended  efforts 
to  save.  Thousands  of  poor,  unfortunate  men  and  women  would  be 
brought  to  Christ  if  the  preacher  would  show  them  by  his  friendliness 
he  is  anxious  as  to  their  future  and  eternal  welfare.  It  was  a  very 
pleasant  afternoon  the  day  we  left  Nain  and  Endor  behind,  and  came 
into  the  town  made  sacredly  memorable  as  the  home  of  our  Lord 
from  infancy  to  manhood. 

On  account  of  the  elevated  situation  of  Nazareth,  it  can  be  seen 
afar  off.  It  is  very  atti'active  when  first  viewed.  The  valley  of  Es- 
draelon,  with  its  great  profusion  of  variegated  flowers,  begins  to  lose  its 
charms,  and  the  approaching  traveler  draws  his  attention  to  the  beau- 
tiful town  before  him.     Notwithstanding  I  had  carefully  read  the  his- 


NAZARETH.  355 

tory  of  this  little  city  among  the  hills,  I  am  frank  to  confess  that  my 
idea  of  it  was  but  meagre,  as  was  the  case  with  regard  to  all  other  cities 
and  towns  in  that  land.  Just  after  leaving  the  plain,  the  ascent  of  a 
high  and  rugged  hill  begins,  which  is  difficult  and  fatiguing  to  travel. 
It  is  just  west  of  the  Mount  of  Precipitation,  the  traditional  hill  to 
which  the  enraged  citizens  led  Jesus  to  hurl  Him  to  death  among  the 
rocks  below.  A  full  view  is  obtained  of  it  as  the  town  is  approached 
from  Nain.  After  the  rough  hill  is  ascended,  the  traveler  enters  a 
good  road  ;  here  we  could  travel  much  more  comfortably.  In  a  few 
moments  after  reaching  the  eastern  edge  of  the  town,  we  halted  at  a 
little  hotel,  at  which  I  spent  two  nights  pleasantly.  The  Greek  church 
and  convent  are  seen  first,  on  arrival  at  Nazareth,  from  the  south  and 
southeast.  The  Latins  have  the  most  important  historic  sites  under 
their  control.  It  is  really  wonderful  to  learn  of  the  shameful  amount 
of  deception  practiced  upon  strangers  in  various  portions  of  Palestine 
by  the  two  rival  churches,  the  Greeks  and  Latins. 

In  Nazareth,  both  churches  claim  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  home  of 
the  Virgin  Mary  where  she  was  visited  by  the  Angel  Gabriel,  who  in- 
formed her  that  the  Lord  had  chosen  her  as  the  medium  through 
whom  the  advent  of  Christ  should  be  made  into  our  world  But  the 
site  held  by  the  Greeks  is  wholly  repudiated  by  those  Avho  have  made 
investigations  ;  and  the  general  opinion  inclines  to  the  site  of  the  Latin 
Church.  The  officials  are  very  generous,  and  take  great  pains  in  con- 
ducting visitors  to  the  various  sacred  sites  they  have  in  charge.  It  is 
also  worthy  of  mention  that  they  do  not  allow  any  of  their  officials  to 
take  pay  from  those  who  go  through  the  church  and  convent,  which  is 
an  honorable  exception  to  the  general  rule,  for  in  many  places  they  are  so 
greedy,  a  visitor  is  perplexed  with  their  importunities  tor  contributions. 

There  are  many  things  of  interest  to  see  in  the  Church  of  the  An- 
nunciation. The  hij^h  altar,  which  is  approached  from  the  broad 
marble  steps,  is  dedicated  to  the  Angel  Gabriel,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
near  the  spot  where  he  stood  when  he  announced  to  the  Virgin  that  she 
should  be  the  mother  of  our  Lord.  "  Thou  shalt  bear  a  son,  and  His 
name  shall  be  called  Jesus."  The  altar  is  handsomely  decorated,  and 
presents  a  very  impressive  scene  ;  but  the  interior  of  the  church  is 
plain,  having  a  few  fairly  good  pictures  suspended  along  the  walls. 
Below  the  altar  is  an  apartment  called  the  Chapel  of  the  Angels,  ad- 
joining which  is  another  small  chamber  known  as  the  Chapel  of  the 
Annunciation.  In  this  room  is  seen  a  marble  altar  containing  the  fol- 
lowing inscription:  "Hie  verbum  caro  factum  est." — Here  the  Word 
was  made  flesh. 


356  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

There  are  several  other  sites  within  and  about  the  church  to  which 
visitors  are  conducted,  such  as  the  Visitation  of  Mary,  the  Worship  of 
Joseph,  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  the  Mount  of  Precipitation,  the 
old  synagogue  in  which  our  Lord  delivered  His  first  sermon,  etc.  As 
these  places  are,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  wholly  traditional,  they 
are  not  to  be  relied  upon  as  identical  with  the  events  they  represent ; 
yet,  they  are  highly  interesting  to  visit,  because  of  the  history  cluster- 
ing about  them  The  very  high  mountain  northwest  of  the  town  called 
Mount  Nazareth  affords  one  of  the  grandest  views  to  be  had  in  Pales- 
tine. One  standing  upon  this  lofty  summit  can  look  over  to  Nain, 
Endor,  and  upon  the  highest  peak  of  Mount  Tabor,  all  of  which  seem 
to  be  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  Turning  westward,  the  Medi- 
terranean seems  to  be  only  a  mile  off.     The  whole  view  is  superb ! 


PAET  xn. 

MOUNT   CARMEL. 

Description  of  Mount  Carmel — The  Athlit — Simon  Bar-Cochebas,  or  "Son  of  the 
Stars" — Situation  of  the  Carmelite  Convent — Location  of  Acre— Pasha  of 
Acre— The  Ladder  of  Tyre — Sidon  the  Mother  of  Tyre — Situation  of  Tyre 
— Shalmaneser's  Invasion  of  Tyre — Nebuchadnezzar's  Invasion  of  Tyre. 


M 


OUNT  CARMEL  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  all  the  mountains 
in  Palestine  except  Zion  and  Olivet.  It  is  regarded  as  sacred 
by  the  various  Christian  denominations  in  the  land,  and  reverenced  by 
them  next  to  the  Holy  Mount  in  the  City  of  David.  It  is  not  a  single 
mountain,  as  many  suppose,  but  an  extensive  range  of  about  thirty 
miles  in  length,  having  many  ravines  and  peaks  of  different  degrees  of 
altitudes  and  depths.  Carmel  separates  the  Sharon  plain  from  that 
of  Esdraelon,  forming  it  into  a  triangular  shape.  It  is  very  dismal 
to  travel,  and  were  it  not  for  its  historical  associations  no  tourist  would 
consent  to  make  a  trip  over  it.  The  whole  range  is  wild  and  uninviting, 
having  a  hugh  limestone  surface  here  and  there ;  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  great  ledges  of  these  rocks  pave  the  pass  leading  up  the  moun- 
tain from  the  base  to  its  summit.  But  a  much  wilder  scene  is  pre- 
sented while  passing  over  its  steep  hills  and  winding  paths,  studded 
with  monstrous  rocks  from  beginning  to  end.  It  is  not  a  wonder  the 
Prophet  Amos  referred  to  it  as  a  place  of  retreat  for  refugees.  It  has 
many  secure  hiding-places,  which  are  sought  many  times  by  the 
Bedouins,  who  endeavor  to  elude  their  pursuers.  It  is  said  there  were 
many  large  trees  covering  several  of  the  hills  and  vales  of  Carmel  in 
the  near  past,  but  nearly  all  of  them  have  been  cut  down  by  the 
charcoal-burners  for  the  markets.  This  fuel  is  mostly  used  in  the  interior 
of  Palestine,  and  is  in  great  demand  in  the  cold  season.  The  herds- 
men, who  are  very  numerous  in  the  locality  of  Carmel,  have  destroyed 
much  of  the  timber-land  to  procure  pasture  for  their  cattle.  They 
have  set  fire  to  large  tracts  of  it,  so  that  they  may  get  fodder  from  the 
tender  branches  which  grow  the  following  spring.  This  procedure  has 
caused  many  of  the  vicious  wild  animals,  that  have  made  their  homes 
in  the  dens  and  caves  so  frequently  seen,  to  abandon  them  and  hunt 

357 


358  THE  LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

homes  in  other  parts  of  the  country ;  yet  there  are  a  few  remaining 
among  the  wild  haunts,  such  as  the  leopard,  hyena,  porcupine,  weasel, 
wild  boar,  wolf,  and  a  few  of  the  minor  classes.  The  jackals  are  the 
most  numerous,  not  only  in  the  wilds  of  Carmel,  but  in  almost  all 
parts  of  the  northern  and  western  portions  of  Palestine  and  Syria. 
It  is  said  many  venomous  snakes  lurk  in  several  of  the  more  dreary 
places,  but  it  was  my  good  fortune  not  to  see  any  of  them.  It  is  very 
evident  from  the  number  of  ruins  scattered  over  certain  portions  of 
Carmel,  that  a  large  population  lived  up  there  in  earlier  times,  who 
had  comfortable  homes.  The  present  inhabitants  are  Arabs  and  live 
in  their  usual  characteristic  huts,  mostly  composed  of  sun  dried  clay. 
It  is  supposed  the  greater  portion  of  the  ruins  on  the  southeastern 
side  of  the  mountain  are  the  remains  of  a  Jewish  village  in  which  a 
synagogue  was  built.  It  is,  therefore,  evident  there  were  several  thou- 
sands of  them  inhabiting  the  southeastern  district,  and  that  they  settled 
there  after  their  return  from  captivity,  because  the  Jews  did  not  have 
such  buildings  previously.  Great  precautions  seem  to  have  been  taken  in 
building  the  town,  both  in  arranging  for  comfort  and  protecting  them- 
selves against  the  encroachments  of  invaders.  The  Crusaders  partially 
renewed  the  place  and  made  a  long  jetty  to  land  their  fellow-pilgrims 
who  came  over  from  Europe. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  state,  that  in  connection  with  the  many 
ruins  remaining  on  Mt.  Carmel,  are  those  which,  from  their  archi- 
tecture, are  supposed  to  be  of  Phoenician  origin.  One  of  these  is  an 
antique  chamber  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  is  likely  to  have  been 
used  as  a  guard-house  by  that  most  progressive  and  war-like  people, 
during  their  occupancy  of  that  portion  of  the  coast.  The  old,  weather- 
beaten  rock;  that  has  been  pelted  by  the  storms  of  four  thousand  years, 
still  bears  visible  impressions  of  the  instruments  used  by  the  workmen. 
And  there  are  many  other  old  ruins  scattered  over  the  mount,  which 
are  evidences  that  the  ancients  caused  the  dreary  wilderness  to  be  a  busy 
scene,  when  they  were  the  custodians  of  this  most  noted  mountain. 
But  now  solitude  reigns  supreme  almost  from  one  end  to  the  other, 
except  the  few  Arabs  who  inhabit  it ;  whom  to  look  upon,  many  times 
causes  a  stranger  to  feel  more  lonely  than  if  he  had  seen  nothing  but 
the  occasional  wild  animals  which  still   find  a  home  in  the  dens  and 

caves. 

THE  ATHLIT. 

The  site  of  the  ancient  town  and  fortress  lies  beyond  the  ruins  of  a 
gateway,  about  wdiich  may  be  seen  great  masses  of  crumbling  pillars 
and   blocks  of  stone  of  various  shapes  scattered  over  a  large  space. 


MOUNT  CAKMEL.  359 

This  is  where  the  Athlit  was  located,  historically  known  as  the  Castel- 
lum  Peregrinorum,  or  "  The  Pilgrims'  Castle."  It  was  the  landing- 
place  for  the  new  recruits  in  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  for  more  than 
two  hundred  years.  It  is  the  general  opinion  of  those  who  have  made 
examinations  of  the  numerous  ruins,  that  the  fortress  and  castle  were 
built  by  the  Knights  Templars  early  in  the  thirteenth  century.  It  has 
been  discovered  that  there  are  prominent  traces  of  masonry  that  belong 
to  the  age  of  the  Phoenicians  and  Canaanites  among  these  vast  ruins  pro- 
miscuously strewn  over  the  mountains.  It  is  highly  probable  that  the 
Phoenicians  had  one  of  their  strongest  fortifications  here,  when  they  were 
guarding  the  coast  along  their  territory.  The  natural  situation  of  the 
place  forms  a  monstrous  citadel  in  itself,  and  when  combined  with  art 
it  must  have  been  the  most  stupendous  of  all  the  fortresses  of  the 
coast,  and  those  whose  good  fortune  it  was  to  be  residents  of  the  mount, 
felt  themselves  perfectly  secure. 

The  greatest  historical  interest  of  the  Athlit  lies  in  the  fact  of  its 
being  the  last  Jewish,  and  also  the  last  Christian  possession  in  the 
Holy  Land.  In  the  year  one  hundred  and  thirty  of  our  era,  Simon, 
the  son  of  Bar-Cochebas,  commanded  the  last  Jewish  insurrection 
against  the  Romans  in  the  time  of  Hadrian.  It  is  said  the  whole  plan 
was  cunningly  formulated  by  Simon,  who  was  a  skillful  man,  but  amaz- 
ingly superstitious.  He  called  himself  Bar-Cochcbas,  or  "  Son  of  the 
Star ; "  claiming  that  the  prophecy  of  Baalim  was  centred  in  him, 
saying,  "  There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob."  The  Jews  had  the 
greatest  confidence  in  Simon,  as  the  man  whom  God  had  raised  up  to 
deliver  them,  and  believed  the  above  prediction  would  be  fulfilled  in 
him.  Therefore  they  were  ready  to  follow  whatever  commands  he 
might  give  them.  Feeling  assured  their  commander  was  the  gift  of 
God,  the  Jews  entered  into  the  conflict  with  great  energy,  and  through 
the  whole  struggle,  which  lasted  three  years  and  a  half,  they  possessed 
indomitable  courage,  W'iuning  one  victory  after  another  until  fifty  towns 
and  cities  that  had  been  dispossessed  by  the  Romans,  were  captured. 
But  after  a  little  more  than  three  years  had  elapsed,  Julius  Serverus, 
Hadrian's  commander-in-chief,  came  upon  the  scene,  and  cut  down  the 
hitherto  victorious  Jews  like  grass  ;  many  thousands  were  slain,  others 
were  captured  and  executed,  and  the  residue  were  subjected  to  the  most 
rigid  discipline.  This  was  the  final  Jewish  struggle  for  independence 
in  Palestine,  and  the  one  which  caused  them  to  be  dispersed  over  the 
face  of  the  whole  earth. 


360  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

FORTRESS  OF  SIMON  "  BAR-COCHEBAS,"  OR  "SON  OF  THE  STARS." 

During  this  conflict  Athlit  was  the  main  stronghold,  where  '■  the 
son  of  the  star  "  garrisoned  his  forces.  It  is  still  celebrated  in  Jewish 
literature  as  a  memorial  of  the  last  foothold  of  land  in  Palestine  they 
possessed,  while  making  their  final  contest  for  national  independence. 
The  new-comers  to  this  land  of  Bible  renown,  having  a  knowledge  of 
Athlit,  made  it  the  stronghold  of  the  Crusaders  ;  and  although  a 
thousand  years  had  passed  since  Simon  and  his  brave  army  were  in 
camp  there,  it  was  found  to  be  in  such  a  good  condition,  but  compara- 
tively little  work  was  required  to  make  it  the  strong  fortress  it  was  in 
former  times.  But  it  is  very  evident  the  Crusaders  greatly  increased 
its  dimensions  and  fortifications.  It  was  attacked  by  Sultan  El-Melek 
Moaddham,  and  sometime  afterwards  the  famous  Bibare  vainly  strove 
for  seven  years  to  capture  it.  But  when  Acre,  just  three  or  four 
miles  away,  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Moslems,  who  had  control 
of  every  inch  of  Palestine  except  Athlit,  the  Crusaders  were  compelled 
to  abandon  their  fortress.  Before  they  finally  left  it,  those  who  escaped 
the  sword  of  their  foe  came  together  the  night  prior  to  their  departure 
and  held  a  memorial  banquet. 

It  is  very  evident  this  part  of  Mount  Carmel  was  chosen  as  a 
fortress,  because  of  the  memorable  victory  won  by  Elijah  the  prophet 
near  the  place  of  Athlit.  But  aside  from  the  sacred  history  attaching 
to  this  mountain,  the  events  that  transpired  upon  its  summit  in  later 
times  makes  it  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  in  Palestine,  for  it  is 
a  historical  reservoir.  Mount  Carmel  first  came  into  imperishable  dis- 
tinction as  a  battle-field  when  the  prophet  Elijah  went  up  against  the 
hosts  of  Baal,  to  decide  who  was  the  true  God.  This  of  all  the  events 
for  which  Carmel  is  noted  is  the  most  important.  As  has  been  stated, 
Carmel  has  been  from  ancient  times  to  the  present  a  refuge  for  all 
classes  of  men.  It  is  as  much  sought  at  times  by  those  fleeing  from 
justice  as  were  the  ancient  cities  to  which  refugees  escaped  from  their 
pursuers. 

It  is  regarded  as  a  fruitless  procedure  to  attempt  to  hunt  down 
one  who  has  time  enough  to  reach  the  hiding-places  of  Carmel  before 
the  officer  of  the  law  overtakes  him,  for  some  of  the  caves  and  dens 
are  so  secluded  that  it  is  impossible  for  those  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  them  to  capture  a  man  without  running  a  sad  risk  of  his  life.  It 
is  said  one  might  be  in  the  same  cave  where  his  pursuer  is,  and  within 
arm's  length  of  him,  before  he  could  see  him.  This  is  also  true  of 
several  other  mountains  in  Palestine  and  Syria,  such  as  the  mountains 


MOUNT  CAEMEL.  361 

of  the  spies  of  Jericho,  the  Frank  mountain,  east  of  Bethlehem,  the 
Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon  ranges  in  Syria,  and  a  few  others.  But 
none  of  these  seem  to  be  so  abundantly  supplied  with  retreats  as  Mount 
Carmel.  Those  who  have  traveled  over  it  had  an  opportunity  to  see 
many  of  its  secluded  retreats. 

The  pass  leading  to  the  summit  on  its  western  border  begins  at 
Haifa,  and  requires  about  one  hour  and  a  half  to  ascend  it.  Some 
portions  of  the  pass  are  mediumly  good,  but  from  the  half-way  station 
to  the  top  it  is  most  difficult.  It  is  with  much  labor  and  fatigue  the 
animals  are  enabled  to  carry  a  person  up.  Many  will  not  venture  to 
remain  on  their  horses  when  the  most  dangerous  places  are  to  be  trav- 
eled, and  it  often  occurs  that  people  walk  the  whole  way  from  the  base 
to  the  summit.  There  are  open  places  along  the  extreme  narrow  por- 
tions of  the  pass  as  it  approaches  the  edge  of  the  sea.  along  which  are 
gorges  several  hundred  feet  deep.  It  is  alarming  to  pass  them,  either 
riding  or  walking,  for  if  the  least  blunder  should  happen  to  be  made, 
the  unfoi'tunate  person  would  fall  headlong  down  among  the  pointed 
rocks  and  be  broken  to  pieces  in  an  instant. 

There  are  still  to  be  seen  several  caves  in  the  mountain-side  which 
were  occupied  in  earlier  times  by  the  Anchorites.  The  most  celebrated 
of  them  is  near  the  foot  of  Carmel,  between  Tel-es-Samak  and  Kaifa, 
known  as  El-Khudr,  or  "the  evergreen."  This  is  the  name  the  natives 
gave  the  prophet  Elijah.  But  English-speaking  people  call  it  the 
school  of  the  prophets. 

On  arriving  at  the  gateway,  at  the  top  of  the  mount,  the  visitor 
passes  into  a  beautiful  yard  where  green  grass  and  various  flowers 
abound.  The  buildings  round  about  compose  the  Carmelite  Convent. 
It  is  estimated  to  be  forty-five  feet  long,  twenty-seven  wide  and  fifteen 
high,  the  whole  of  which  has  been  excavated  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
having  a  modern  building  .on  each  side  of  it.  In  the  central  chamber 
is  a  broad  stone  seat,  about  two  feet  high,  hewn  out  of  the  rock ;  and 
in  the  east  wall  is  a  recess  carved  from  the  huge  limestone  bed  compos- 
ing it.  This  cave  is  sacredly  reverenced  by  Jews,  Christians,  Mos- 
lems and  Druses  as  the  identical  site  of  one  of  the  schools  of  the 
prophets.  The  convent  is  located  near  the  sea-border,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  desirable  situations  of  the  entire  range.  The  custodians  are 
very  polite  to  strangers  who  visit  the  convent. 

THE  BROOK  KISHON. 

The  Brook  Kishon  is  one  of  the  great  historic  streams  of  Palestine. 
It  came  into  prominence  on  the  day  the  false  prophets  were  so  shame- 


362  THE   LAND   OF   PROMISE. 

fully  defeated  by  Elijah,  on  Carmel.  who  in  their  vain  attempt  to 
escape  the  sword  of  justice,  were  slain  near  this  brook  by  their  enraged 
pursuers. 

The  Kishon  takes  its  rise  in  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  near  the  foot 
of  Mount  Tabor.  It  flows  through  the  memorable  plain,  gathering 
more  strength  from  its  tributaries  along  the  way,  which  swell  it  in  the 
winter  season  to  a  deep  and  rapid  current.  For  a  considerable  dis- 
tance it  runs  along  the  base  of  Carmel,  and  pours  its  contents  into  the 
sea,  a  short  distance  from  Acre.  During  the  latter  portion  of  the 
summer  the  brook  is  generally  dry  about  its  source,  but  in  that  portion 
that  runs  along  the  foot  of  Carmel  the  water  remains  the  year  round, 
because  it  is  continually  receiving  supplies  from  the  perennial  springs 
flowing  down  into  it.  When  the  rainy  season  is  in  its  height  the 
brook's  fords  become  so  greatly  swollen  it  is  impossible  to  pass  over 
them.  It  was  just  such  a  season  when  the  army  of  Sisera  was  drowned 
when  fleeing  from  the  army  of  Israel.  Here  the  Arabs  were  most 
sadly  defeated  while  fleeing  from  the  memorable  battle  of  Tabor. 
This  brook,  Kishon,  will  ever  be  memorable  to  the  author  of  this  vol- 
ume, for  it  was  by  a  slender  chance  his  life  was  preserved. 

The  dragoman  having  me  in  charge  feared  we  would  not  be  able  to 
cross,  as  the  water  was  running  rapidly,  and  was  getting  deeper  seem- 
ingly every  moment,  as  it  had  been  raining  hard  several  days.  As  we 
approached  nearer,  evidences  were  prominent  that  it  would  be  diflicu't 
to  cross  the  ford.  We  went  to  the  lower  ford,  which  was  a  good  deal 
nearer  Haifa,  but  not  near  as  crossable  as  the  one  a  mile  or  two  above 
in  the  time  of  heavy  rains.  On  our  arrival  at  the  usual  crossing  the 
water  was  running  in  torrents,  but  we  concluded  to  make  an  eftbrt  to 
cross.  My  horse  being  very  thirsty  stopped,  after  entering  a  few  feet, 
to  drink  ;  and  there  being  a  great  accumulation  of  mud  at  the  bottom  he 
sank  into  it  several  inches,  so  that  when  he  attempted  to  recover  him- 
self it  W'as  with  much  difficulty ;  and  twice  while  attempting  to  free  his 
feet  the  poor  horse  came  near  falling.  Just  at  that  time  it  seemed 
impossible  for  me  to  free  my  feet  from  the  stirrups ;  but,  by  the  mercy 
of  God,  he  finally  recovered,  and  we  reached  the  other  shore  safely. 
Had  he  fallen  we  would  have  both  perished.  But  O  !  what  joy  when 
we  reached  the  land  !  I  cannot  ever  forget  the  experience  We 
reached  Haifa  in  the  early  afternoon  very  much  fatigued  ;  but  it  was 
only  a  short  Avhile  after  dinner  Avhen  we  w^ere  again  in  the  saddle 
ascending  the  rugged  path  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Carmel. 


FROM   MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  363 

LOCATION  OF  ACRE. 

Haifa  is  supposed  to  be  the  site  of  Misheal  or  Mishbal  of  the 
Scriptures.  Acre  is  known  by  different  names.  It  is  sometimes  called 
Akko  (Accho),  also  St.  Jean  d'  Acre  It  is  a  small  city,  situated 
along  the  sea-border  about  ten  miles  north  of  Haifa.  It  is  a  place  of 
great  historical  importance,  notwithstanding  it  is  not  prominently 
mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  yet  we  find  it  mentioned  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament as  Accho.  In  the  New  Testament  it  is  called  Ptolemais.  Akka 
is  the  name  by  which  it  is  known  in  Arabic.  The  French  call  it  "  St. 
Jean  d'  Acre,"  and  the  English  have  named  it  "  Acre."  This  little 
city  contains  about  seven  thousand  inhabitants,  all  of  whom  are  Mos- 
lems, except  about  one  thousand  who  have  espoused  the  Christian  . 
faith.  The  situation  of  Acre  with  reference  to  approaches  to  it  by  sea 
and  land  were  so  peculiarly  difficult  it  was  for  a  long  time  called  the 
key  of  Palestine.  Those  entering  the  Holy  Land  from  the  north  had 
to  come  this  way,  over  the  very  narrow  and  rugged  pass  known  as  the 
Ladder  of  Tyre,  then  through  the  plain  of  Acre. 

When  the  children  of  Israel  entered  upon  their  tribal  possessions, 
Acre  was  allotted  to  Asher.  This  tribe  seems  to  have  lived  on  terms 
of  peace  with  the  Canaanites  who  inhabited  the  place,  as  they  were 
never  expelled  from  it.  The  following  towns,  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, were  held  by  the  Canaanites  after  the  allotment  was  made  and 
Asher  went  up  to  dwell  in  the  country  as  appoi-tioned.  "  Asher  drove 
not  out  the  inhabitants  of  Accho,  nor  the  inhabitants  of  Zidon,  nor  of 
Ahlab,  nor  of  Achzib,  nor  of  Helbah,  nor  of  Aphik,  nor  of  Rehab ;  but 
the  Asherites  dwelt  among  the  Canaanites,  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  • 
for  they  drove  not  them  out  "  The  Jews  regarded  the  city  as  abhor- 
rently unclean,  and  excluded  it  from  the  boundary  of  the  Holy  Land, 
confining  it  to  the  walls  of  the  town.  The  same  opinion  has  come 
down  through  the  ages  of  Jewish  traditions  to  the  present,  so  that  the 
Jews  of  to-day  in  Palestine  adhere  as  strongly  to  the  idea  as  those  of 
the  earlier  times.  They  abhor  the  name  of  Accho,  and  will  not  consent 
to  die  there  under  any  circumstances  if  they  can  avoid  it.  They  have 
a  small  cemetery  on  the  east  of  the  town  just  outside  the  wall,  which 
they  claim  is  within  the  limits  of  the  Holy  Land.  Here  the  Jews  are 
willing  to  be  laid  to  rest  until  awakened  by  the  trump  of  the  resurrec- 
tion. 

Acre,  being  the  key  of  Palestine,  caused  many  hostile  nations  to 
turn  their  attention  towards  her.  These  came  up  against  the  little 
fortress  city  from  time  to  time,  until  seventeen  heavy  sieges  were  en- 


364  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

countered.,  during  which  it  was  captured  several  times.  The  city_  and 
district  were  for  some  time  divided  into  seventeen  parts,  each  being 
under  a  separate  jurisdiction.  "It  had  many  sovereigns,  but  no  gov- 
ernment." The  kings  of  Jerusalem  and  Cyprus,  of  the  house  of  Lusig- 
nan  ;  the  princes  of  Antioch  ;  the  counts  of  Tripoli  and  Sidon ;  the 
great  masters  of  the  Hospital,  the  Temple,  and  the  Teutonic  Orders ; 
the  republics  of  Venice,  Genoa  and  Pisa  ;  the  popes,  the  legate,  the 
kings  of  France  and  England,  each  assumed  an  independent  command, 
so  that  seventeen  tribunals  exercised  the  power  of  life  and  death  (Gib- 
bon). This  complicated  state  of  things  introduced  many  sad  events,  so 
that  mob-violence  was  often  indulged  in  and  blood  freely  shed.  The 
Turks  finally  gained  possession  of  Acre  and  placed  it  under  the  control 
of  a  pasha. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  very  cruel  and  heart- 
less official  ruled  the  district,  whose  administration  Avas  so  inhumanly 
outrageous  that  he  became  generally  known  as  the  Jezzar,  or  the 
"  Butcher."  There  are  many  things  stated  as  to  the  atrocities  com- 
mitted by  this  man,  of  which  the  following  is  a  sample :  He  caused  his 
fifteen  wives  to  be  killed  to  appease  his  wicked  passion,  and  tortured 
his  banker  to  death.  This  young  man  was  a  Jew  belonging  to  Damas- 
cus. He  was  very  handsome  and  generally  admired.  Jezzar  was  very 
jealous  of  him.  He  passed  a  high  compliment  on  him  for  his  beauty 
one  day,  and  while  he  pretended  to  be  playing  with  the  young  man, 
put  one  of  his  eyes  out,  so  that  he  might  be  robbed  forever  of  some  of 
his  beauty.  The  young  banker  afterwards  so  adjusted  his  turban  as  to 
hide  the  disfigured  eye.  Jezzar,  seeing  this,  drew  his  sword  and  smote 
off  the  man's  nose.  He  then,  at  short  intervals,  committed  other  brutal 
assaults  on  him,  until  at  length  he  caused  him  to  be  beheaded.  It  is 
said,  that  aside  from  his  cruel  disposition,  Jezzar  Pasha  was  a  most 
prosperous  and  energetic  ruler,  and  largely  extended  the  pashalik  of 
Acre  while  he  was  ruling.  There  is  a  mosque  in  the  town  bearing  his 
name  that  was  built  by  his  direction.  The  New  Testament  mentions 
this  town  by  its  new  name,  Ptolemais.  St.  Paul  came  here  and  re- 
mained a  day  when  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  This  seems  to  be  the 
only  mention  made  of  it  in  the  New  Testament. 

THE  LADDER  OF  TYRE. 

After  the  fatal  battle  of  Mt.  Hattin,  when  the  Crusaders  were 
vanquished.  Acre  fell  into  the  hands  of  Saladin,  and  in  four  years 
later  the  Crusaders  recaptured  the  city  after  a  heavy  siege  of  two 
years,  which  cost  the  lives  of  sixty  thousand  men.     But  there  was  a 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  365 

constant  uneasiness  jirevailing  among  the  people  on  account  of  repeated 
attempts  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  to  capture  it.  Just  about  one  hun- 
dred years  after  this  great  struggle,  the  Crusaders  were  again  compelled 
to  abandon  Acre  after  a  strong  resistance  of  one  month.  This  was 
the  last  desperate  struggle  the  Crusaders  engaged  in,  for  they  had 
become  hopelessly  overpowered  and  their  doom  was  sealed  in  the 
"  Holy  Land."  About  twelve  miles  north  of  Acre  the  narrow  pass  is 
crossed  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  skirting  the  sea ;  this  is  called  "  The 
Ladder  of  Tyre."  It  well  deserves  the  name,  for  it  is  very  steep  and 
dreadfully  rugged.  After  ascending  to  the  summit,  the  northern 
descent  is  so  very  steep  and  dangerous,  but  few  will  attempt  to  ride 
down  it ;  even  the  natives  dread  it,  and  dismount  when  they  begin  the 
descent.  Some  portions  of  it  have  openings  to  the  sea ;  and  the  pass 
is  so  close  to  the  edge  of  the  gulf  it  is  really  shocking  to  pass  them ; 
should  you  fall  here  nothing  could  save  your  life.  Just  as  the  pass  is 
crossed  the  border  of  Phoenicia  is  reached.  The  road  leading  over  the 
Ladder  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  highways  in  Palestine,  and,  as  has 
been  stated,  was  the  only  ovei*-land  entrance  to  Tyre. 

Through  this  narrow  head-land  hundreds  of  thousands  of  mighty 
.men  of  war  have  passed  in  olden  times  to  battle  and  to  death.  When 
Rameses  IL,  sat  himself  against  Asia  Minor  to  subdue  it,  he  caused 
his  large  army  to  pass  this  way ;  and  according  to  information  the 
Bible  gives  us,  the  Assyrians  were  sent  over  this  critical  pass  on  at 
least  five  missions  of  war  and  death.  At  one  time  they  came  over 
under  the  leadership  of  Pul ;  once  under  Tilgath-Pileser.  Shalmane- 
ser  led  his  forces  over  it,  Sargon's  troops  came  over  it  with  a  greedy 
expectation  of  victoiy ;  and  here  came  also  Sennacherib  with  his 
tremendous  host.  The  Syrians  came  down  like  a  flood  over  this  pass 
more  than  twenty-five  hundred  years  ago ;  and  hither  came  the  proud 
Rameses  more  than  three  thousand  years  ago  to  lift  his  conquering 
sceptre  over  the  land.  This  monarch  was  the  Sesostris  of  Herodotus, 
and  the  Pharaoh  of  Moses.  Many  other  victorious  armies  have 
marched  ovei  this  narrow  Ladder  since  those  ancient  warriors  have 
fallen  asleep. 

This  pass  is  called  by  the  natives  Ras  en-Nakurah,  and  is  known 
to  the  Romans  as  Tyriorum.  Soon  after  leaving  the  northern  base  of 
the  pass,  a  countless  number  of  ruins  are  exposed  to  view,  extending 
over  several  miles.  Some  of  them  are  piled  in  mounds  and  others  are 
scattered  in  every  direction.  This  is  an  evidence  that  the  whole  dis- 
trict was  an  unbroken  succession  of  cities  and  towns,  in  which  lived 
many  hundred  thousands  of  Phoenicians.     But  how  sadly  those  mighty 


366  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

cities  have  fallen  !  They  were  once  a  scene  of  busy  life ;  now  the  whole 
region  is  a  vast  wilderness.  There  is  not  a  sign  of  life  to  be  seen  in 
the  most  of  it  except  a  traveler  here  and  there  passing  through.  These 
ruins  are  strong  evidences  of  Phoenician  genius,  whose  knowledge  in 
sculpture  was  the  most  skillful  of  any  people  in  the  countries  round 
about  them. 

Ancient  Tyre  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  of  the  first  cities  of  our 
world,  running  back  into  prehistoric  times.  It  was  built  and  inhabited 
by  Phoenicians,  who  settled  in  the  country  early  after  the  dispersion  of 
men  over  the  earth.  They  were  descendants  of  Canaan,  the  youngest 
son  of  Ham.  These  people  became  so  very  numerous,  the  whole 
country  was  named  after  them  prior  to  the  time  the  children  of  Israel 
took  possession  of  the  greater  portion  of  it.  Tyre  is  the  word  from 
which  Syria  takes  its  name,  which  means  "  the  Land  of  the  Tyrians." 
With  reference  to  its  antiquity  there  can  be  no  doubt,  for  it  is  spoken 
of  as  such  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Isaiah,  in  speaking  of  it,  says,  "  It 
is  of  ancient  days."  It  is  an  established  opinion  among  authors  that 
Tyre  was  founded  nearly  three  thousand  years  before  our  era ;  and, 
according  to  William  of  Tyre,  its  founder  was  Tyras.  Herodotus  says 
the  city  was  in  a  state  of  prosperity  as  far  back  as  two  thousand  and 
fifty  years,  B.C. 

SIDON  THE  MOTHER  OF  TYRE. 

It  is  evident  that  Sidon  was  a  much  older  city  and  was  known  as 
the  mother  of  Tyre — indeed,  she  was  the  parent  of  all  the  cities,  towns 
and  villages  along  the  coast.  This  statement  will  not  be  questioned  if 
we  confide  in  the  words  of  Isaiah,  who  calls  Tyre  the  daughter  of 
Sidon.  But  it  seems  that  the  former  suddenly  grew  and  became  the  most 
important  city  the  Phoenicians  possessed,  for  it  became  the  most  noted 
of  all  others  known  in  the  land.  Ezekiel's  reference  to  Tyre  is  most 
graphic  and  expressive  of  the  wonderful  powers  of  the  people  whose 
influence  had  spread  over  sea  and  land  as  that  of  no  other  people  had. 
These  two  great  cities  of  the  Phoenicians  were  well  known  to  Jacob 
before  he  left  Hebron  for  Egypt,  and  when  about  to  die  he  named 
them  as  the  boundary  of  the  portion  of  Zebulun.  The  Phoenicians 
were  a  powerful  people  and  were  dreaded  by  the  nations  around  them, 
notwithstanding  their  country  was  allotted  to  Asher,  that  tribe  never 
took  possession  of  it,  but  remained  in  a  subordinate  relation  to  this 
warlike  people  whom  they  found  inhabiting  their  portion. 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  367 

PHCENICIANS  AND  ISRAELITES. 

The  Phoenicians,  however,  seemed  to  have  lived  on  the  most  friendly 
terms  with  Israel,  and  rendered  them  great  service.  And,  although 
numerous  wai-s  and  quarrels  continued  so  many  years  between  Israel  and 
other  nations,  we  have  no  knowledge  of  any  contentions  having  existed 
between  them  and  the  Phoenicians  ;  notwithstanding  in  some  portions 
of  the  country  they  lived  together  ;  and  in  cities  adjoining  each  other, 
they  were  on  most  intimate  and  friendly  terms.  We  know  there  was, 
in  the  time  of  David  and  Solomon,  a  strong  friendship  existing  be- 
tween the  two  nations,  that  bound  them  almost  as  one  people.  It  is 
known  that  King  Hiram  of  Tyre  rendered  great  assistance  to  King 
Solomon  in  the  construction  of  the  Temple,  and  we  have  reasons  to 
believe  these  friendly  relations  continued  without  any  serious  interrup- 
tion, for  when  Ahab  reigned  over  the  northern  kingdom  he  married 
Jezebel,  a  Phoenician  woman  and  daughter  of  the  king  of  Phoenicia. 
It  seems  strange  that  these  people  should  be  so  wholly  lost  in  idolatry, 
especially  when  they  had  for  neighbors  a  people  who  professed  to  be 
children  of  the  living  God.  But  instead  of  being  turned  from  their 
idols  through  the  influence  of  the  chosen  people,  they  caused  Israel  to 
turn  wistfully  towards  their  gods,  and  even  devoutly  worshiped  them. 

Tyre  is  situated  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Sidon,  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Its  inhabitants  in  early 
times  endured  some  of  the  most  hostile  attacks  that  were  ever  made 
against  a  people  in  the  history  of  wars.  She  withstood  them  for  a  long 
time,  and  proved  herself  mistress  of  the  situation  ;  for  these  brave  peo- 
ple either  put  their  foes  to  flight,  or  so  persistently  withstood  them  that 
they  considered  it  a  fruitless  procedure  to  contend  against  them.  The 
Phoenicians  had  both  harbors  securely  garrisoned  by  a  powerful  and 
alert  fleet  of  well-equipped  men,  who  were  ever  ready  to  defend  their 
government  against  the  encroachments  of  an  invading  foe.  The  Phoeni- 
cians were  masters  of  the  sea,  and  possessed  unequaled  skill  in  their 
day,  in  arming  and  commanding  vessels.  This  superior  knowledge  not 
only  prepared  them  to  maintain  their  prestige  as  seamen,  but  placed 
them  in  a  condition  to  successfully  contend  against  forces  much  larger 
than  their  own.  Many  times  the  enemy  came  against  them,  whose 
numbers  were  by  far  the  greater,  who,  after  a  long  and  bloody  conflict, 
resulting  in  the  loss  of  many  lives,  were  compelled  to  return  to  their 
home  covered  with  shame  and  defeat. 

Josephus  says  :  "  Shalmaneser  went  up  against  Tyre  with  sixty  ves- 
sels, having  eight  hundred  men  manning  the  oars.     The  Tyrians  met 


368  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

them  with  only  twelve  vessels  and  discomfited  them.  They  captured 
five  hundred  of  the  Assyrians,  and  put  the  remaining  fleet  to  flight." 
But  the  land  force  of  Shalmaneser  was  not  so  readily  subdued;  they 
could  fight  better  on  the  land ;  moreover,  they  were  very  numerous. 
This  vast  army  camped  before  Tyre  five  years,  and  did  much  damage 
to  the  outskirts  of  the  city  and  the  watei'-works  ;  but  at  length  they 
became  hopeless  of  accomplishing  their  aim  and  gave  up  the  contest, 
leaving  the  Phoenicians  masters  of  the  situation.  Nebuchadnezzar  stood 
out  against  Tyre  with  a  strong  army,  who  besieged  it  for  nineteen  years, 
using  every  means  at  their  command  to  overthrow  it,  but  were  finally 
compelled  to  abandon  their  eflfort  as  a  fruitless  task.  Until  Alexander 
the  Great  came  up  with  his  conquering  army,  the  Phoenicians  main- 
tained their  jurisdiction  over  Tyre. 

But  when  this  conqueror  of  conquerors  came  upon  the  scene,  with 
his  invincible  host,  one  of  the  most  bloody  and  deadly  conflicts  began 
that  had  visited  the  Phoenician  citadel.  The  people  fought  bravely 
and  desperately,  but  were  compelled  to  surrender  their  cherished  city 
to  the  superior  strength  of  Alexander's  forces.  The  island  city  with- 
stood the  invaders  seven  months ;  but  they  also  were  finally  subdued  and 
captured  after  the  enemy  had  united  it  to  the  mainland  by  forming  a 
mole  of  massive  stones  and  timbers  from  the  ruins  of  the  old  city.  This 
little  isthmus  was  so  well  constructed,  that  it  gave  Alexander  an  oppor- 
tunity to  seize  the  island  city  with  but  little  trouble,  although  the 
Tyrians  fought  with  great  determination  to  maintain  their  position  ; 
but  they  were  too  weak  for  their  powerful  foe,  and  were  compelled  to 
submit  to  him.  The  most  decided  encounter  of  the  Greeks  against  the 
Tyrian-Phoenicians  was  an  illustrious  fulfillment  of  the  graphic  predic- 
tion of  the  Prophet  Fzekiel.  He  so  clearly  disclosed  the  scene  that  it 
could  not  have  been  more  definitely  narrated  if  he  had  been  looking 
upon  the  event  when  it  took  place.  This  shows  how  clearly  and  ade- 
quately the  Lord  inspired  human  beings  to  foretell  events  hundreds  of 
years  before  they  came  to  pass. 

ANCIENT  TYRE. 

Tyre  is  now  called  by  the  natives  Ras-el-Ain.  It  is  located  about 
three  miles  from  the  island  city  on  the  south.  The  present  town 
occupies  a  portion  of  the  site  on  which  the  latter  city  stood,  in  and 
about  which  many  ruins  of  the  former  city  are  to  be  seen.  Investi- 
gations have  strongly  indicated  that  old  Tyre  occupied  all  the  space 
from  the  southern  end  of  its  ruins  to  the  island.  There  are  remnants 
of  the  ancient  reservoirs,  still  in  a  medium  state  of  preservation,  into 


FROM   MOUNT  CARMEL  TO   DAMASCUS.  369 

which  several  perennial  springs  flow.  These  reservoirs  formed  a  por- 
tion of  the  water  supply  of  the  renowned  city,  in  ancient  times,  through 
an  aqueduct.  It  has  been  discovered  that  the  vast  tract  adjoining 
the  reservoir  was  made  into  a  succession  of  beautiful  gardens.  It  is 
supposed  they  contained  some  of  the  most  lovely  flowers  known  in  the 
East.  There  were  also  fine  shade-trees,  beautifiilly  arranged,  so  as  to 
make  the  gardens  not  only  inviting  to  look  upon,  but  pleasant  to  visit. 
The  reservoirs  are  believed  to  be  those  which  King  Solomon  gave  to 
Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  as  a  compliment  in  recognition  of  the  efficient 
aid  rendered  by  the  latter  in  building  the  Temple.  The  following  is 
the  current  tradition  concerning  them,  which  is  credited  by  the  people 
of  Tyre  generally. 

Hiram,  the  great  King  of  Tyre,  having  made  a  tour  of  the  twenty 
cities  in  Galilee,  which  Solomon  had  presented  him  in  return  for 
the  services  he  gave  him  in  building  the  Temple,  i:)erceived  at  once 
that  the  possession  of  them  might  bring  him  more  annoyance  than 
benefit,  and  thinking  that  Solomon  had  only  presented  them  to  him  to 
get  them  ofi"  his  hands,  expostulated  indignantly  with  Solomon  on  the 
nature  of  the  proffered  gift.  Nay,  more,  in  accordance  with  a 
genuine  and  universal  mode  of  proceeding  in  the  East,  he  intimated 
his  unwillingness  to  accept  the  gift  or  acknowledge  it  in  the  light  of  a 
friendly  recompense,  and  forwarded  to  Solomon  one  hundred  and 
twenty  talents  in  gold,  a  little  more  than  a  just  equivalent  of  the 
value  of  the  villages.  Thus  far  the  Tyrian  tradition  is  simply  in 
accordance  with  the  Biblical  record  ;  but  the  sequel,  which  is  perhaps 
the  most  interesting  part,  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  Bible.  "  Solomon, 
having  received  the  money,  well  understood  that  Hiram  expected 
something  further  in  the  way  of  recompense  from  him."  He  there- 
fore sent  an  embassy  to  Hiram  to  inquire  what  he  most  desired,  and 
the  King  of  Tyre  replied  :  "  A  proper  supply  of  water  for  his  great 
city." 

Solomon  accordingly  dispatched  to  Tyre  the  masons  who  had  built 
the  Temple,  and  constructed  the  magnificent  reservoirs  and  aqueducts 
of  Ras  el-Ain.  Hiram,  in  return  for  this,  presented  Solomon  with 
the  beautiful  garden  which  he  caused  to  be  laid  out  around  the  reser- 
voirs ;  and  it  is  to  this  very  garden  and  to  these  springs  the  Hebrew 
King  alludes  when  he  says :  "  A  garden  inclosed  is  my  sister,  my 
spouse  ;  a  spring  shut  up,  a  fountain  sealed.  A  fountain  of  gardens, 
a  well  of  living  waters  and  streams  from  Lebanon.  Awake,  O  north 
wind,  and  come  thou  south  ;  blow  upon  my  garden,  that  the  spices 
thereof  may  blow  out."  (Murray).  It  is  said  that  the  above  tradi- 
24 


370  THE   LAND  OF   PKOMISE. 

tion  is  of  very  aucient  date,  and  from  the  general  connection  it  lias  to 
the  situation,  credence  is  given  it  by  many  close  observers.  The  situa- 
tion of  old  Tyre  corresponds  minutely  with  the  well-defined  descrip- 
tion given  it  in  the  Song  of  Solomon.  The  well  of  living  water  is 
fed  by  streams  from  Lebanon.  And  the  most  healthy  and  bracing 
winds  come  from  the  north  and  south.  Were  it  not  for  the  over- 
whelming sands  that  have  covered  much  of  the  remaining  beauty  of 
the  reservoirs  and  gardens,  no  doubt  many  traces  of  them  would  be 
prominent  which  are  now  hidden.  There  ai-e  sand-beds  spread  over 
the  garden  many  feet  deep,  caused  by  the  winds  which  blow  fiercely  in 
the  winter  season. 

Tyre  was  conveniently  located  for  a  commercial  city,  and  was 
doing  business  in  all  ports  of  the  commercial  world.  The  inhabitants 
were  the  most  expert  navigators  of  their  day,  and  delighted  in  doing 
business  over  the  sea.  It  is  called  the  "  merchant  city  "  in  the  Bible, 
and  is  also  called  "  the  crowning  city,  whose  merchants  are  princes," 
and  whose  traffickers  are  the  honorable  men  of  the  earth.  These 
merchants  and  traffickers  traded  in  every  land,  so  that  their  bazaars 
contained  the  most  important  and  richest  goods  from  all  the  trading 
countries  known  to  them.  Merchants  from  afar  came  to  this  city, 
having  for  sale  the  choicest  products  of  their  country  invitingly  dis- 
played in  the  mai'kets  of  Tyre.  It  can  be  assuredly  said,  that  the 
most  precious  fruits  of  the  genius  and  industries  of  the  people  of  every 
tribe  and  nation,  along  all  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  were 
on  exhibition  in  the  business  places  and  markets  of  ancient  Tyre. 
They  came  from  Damascus,  Jerusalem,  Egypt,  India,  Arabia,  and 
from  the  islands  of  the  sea,  seeking  the  trade  of  this  most  thrifty  city 

of  the  world. 

GENIUS  OF  THE  TYRIANS. 

Tyre  was  also  widely  known  as  a  place  in  which  some  of  the  most 
skillful  workmen  in  fine  arts  known  in  the  world  lived.  In  the  time 
of  David  and  Solomon,  Hiram,  King  of  Tyi'e,  was  applied  to  for 
skillful  artists  to  assist  in  fully  carrying  out  the  original  design  in 
building  the  Temple.  He  sent  cedar  timbers  to  Joppa,  and  skilled 
workmen  to  Jerusalem,  whose  ability  to  execute  the  work  far  exceeded 
the  most  expert  among  the  Hebrews.  Solomon  himself  acknowledged 
the  superior  skill  of  the  Phoenicians  when  he  sent  to  Hiram  asking 
the  favor.  "  There  is  not  among  us  any  that  can  skill  to  hew  timber 
like  unto  the  Sidonians."  Solomon  also  procured  from  the  king  of 
Tyre,  Hiram,  a  widow's  son,  whose  services  were  indispensable  in  fully 
accomplishing  the  work  of  the  Temple.     He  was  an  expert  worker  in 


FROM   MOUNT  CARMEL  TO   DAMASCUS.  871 

brass.  The  most  celebrated  of  all  Phoenician  goods  ruanulkctured 
was  the  Tyrian  purple ;  it  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  richest  of 
all  other  goods  in  the  world.  It  was  great  gratification  to  a  person  to 
be  able  to  dress  in  this  renowned  purple  that  was  eagerly  sought  by 
the  kings  of  the  earth  and  mighty  men,  who  thought  their  wardrobe 
incomplete  without  a  garment  made  of  this  material.  It  is  said  that 
this  famous  dye  was  extracted  from  the  glands  of  a  peculiar  species  of 
shell-fish  found  in  the  Mediterranean,  called  "  murextruuculus,"  small 
quantities  of  which  are  still  found,  but  not  to  be  compared  in  quan- 
tity to  that  obtained  in  the  prime  days  of  the  ancient  city. 

The  spirit  of  development  was  so  replete  in  the  Phoenicians,  they 
did  not  content  themselves  with  the  territory  they  possessed  on  the 
east  in  Canaan,  but  established  several  colonies ;  among  them  were 
Leptis,  Utica,  Carthage,  Gades  and  others,  in  all  of  which  the  progress 
and  enterprise  of  Phoenician  industries  were  clearly  developed.  After 
the  fall  of  Tyre,  before  the  victorious  arm  of  Alexander  the  Great,  it 
was  again  partially  restored,  but  never  attained  to  its  former  distinc- 
tion. There  were  several  rivals  who  clamored  to  be  its  acknowledged 
ruler.  It  is  said  the  greatest  contentions  were  stimulated  by  the  lival 
successors  to  the  great  conqueror,  who,  because  of  greedy  ambition, 
caused  Tyre  to  suflfer  greatly.  It  passed  from  one  ruler  to  another, 
according  to  the  amount  of  power  he  exerted  in  warring  against  it. 
It  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventh  century,  a.  d.,  who,  it  is  strange  to  say,  agreed  to  spare  the 
lives  of  the  inhabitants  and  their  property,  provided  they  promised  to 
build  no  more  Christian  churches,  and  that  they  should  ring  no  bells, 
nor  ride  on  horses,  nor  ofier  insults  to  the  Mohammedan  religion. 

Tyre  was  retaken  by  the  Christians  in  the  early  part  of  the  twelfth 
century,  who  controlled  it  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  years ;  but 
was  recaptured  by  the  Moslems  and  became  hopelessly  lost  to  the  cru- 
sading Christians.  These  insanely  cruel  people  completely  demolished 
this  once-famous  city,  which,  for  several  centuries,  had  been  pining 
more  and  more,  from  time  to  time,  like  the  fading  moon,  until  finally 
her  last  ray  was  extinguished.  The  present  town  is  small,  but  it  has 
grown  rapidly  within  a  few  years.  At  present  there  are  jjrominent 
indications  of  a  revival  in  business  to  a  medium  degree,  but  it  is  not 
thought  in  business  circles  that  much  c^  be  done  to  enhance  the  inte- 
rest of  Tyre  while  under  Turkish  rule.  In  the  time  of  our  Lord's 
ministry,  His  teachings  so  greatly  arou.sed  the  people -of  Sidon  and 
Tyre,  that  they  went  over  into  Galilee  in  great  numbers  to  see  Him  and 
taste  of  His  love.     And  we  have  reasons  to  believe  that  many  of  them 


372  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

were  so  influenced  by  His  word  that  they  followed  Him,  and  on  their 
return  to  Tyre  they  separated  themselves  into  a  Christian  society.  If 
this  was  not  done  while  our  Lord  was  yet  on  earth,  it  existed  in  the 
early  age  of  the  apostles.  It  is  certain  that  St.  Paul  found  a  church 
(on  his  arrival  in  Tyre,  when  en  route  to  Jerusalem),  in  a  progressive 
state,  and  publicly  declaring  their  faith  in  Christ. 

It  may  have  been  on  account  of  the  eagerness  manifested  by  the 
people  of  Sidon  and  Tyre  to  hear  the  instructions  of  our  Lord,  and  the 
readiness  with  which  they  received  it,  that  He  favorably  referred  to 
them  while  denouncing  Capernaum,  Bethsaida  and  Chorazin.  Paul 
remained  here  seven  days  with  the  disciples,  and  when  the  time  came 
for  him  to  leave  them,  the  farewell  meeting  was  most  touching.  They 
accompanied  the  apostle  outside  of  the  city  with  their  families,  then 
all  of  them  knelt  down  on  the  shore  and  fervently  invoked  the  bless- 
ings of  God  upon  Paul ;  and  when  they  took  leave  of  each  other,  he 
entered  the  vessel,  and  the  friends  returned  to  their  homes.  This  is  a 
clear  evidence  that  a  small  congregation,  at  least,  of  faithful  Christians, 
who  gave  public  expression  to  their  faith  in  Christ,  lived  in  Tyre. 
When  the  Crusaders  took  possession,  the  whole  city  came  under  Chris- 
tian influence,  and  remained  so  until  the  force-rule  of  Mohammedan- 
ism compelled  many  to  espouse  that  religion. 

THE  FALLEN  CITY. 

The  ruins  of  the  spacious  cathedral  built  by  the  Christians  ai'e  still 
to  be  seen.  These  remains  of  the  cathedral  would  be  extensive  were  it 
not  for  several  small  buildings  which  have  been  built  in  the  centre  of 
the  nave  They  greatly  obstruct  the  sight,  and  prevent  an  extensive 
observation  of  the  space  occupied  by  it.  There  are  a  few  capitals  and 
broken  column-bases  of  white  marble  strewn  about ;  and  with  them 
can  be  seen  several  slabs  of  white  marble  supposed  to  have  belonged  to 
the  front.  The  building  was  erected  some  time  in  the  twelfth  century, 
and  occupied  the  site  of  that  built  early  in  the  fourth  century  by  Paul- 
inus.  One  passing  among  the  ruins  as  they  lay  about  in  various  por- 
tions of  the  present  town,  can  only  with  an  efibrt  persuade  himself  that 
his  eyes  are  beholding  the  mouldering  i-emains  that  formed  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  cities  the  world  ever  knew — a  city  with  towering 
walls,  and  massive  gates,  through  which  the  merchants  passed  from  all 
lands,  seeking  the  richly  woven  materials  and  skillfully  carved  metals 
wrought  by  the  genius  of  the  Phoenicians. 

Tyre  was,  in  her  prime  days,  the  centre  of  attraction  from  which 
the  superior  skill  of  the   children  of  Ham  flowed  to  all  the  world. 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  373 

And  notwithstanding  the  proud  city  and  its  teeming  millions  of  busy 
people  have  returned  to  dust,  much  of  their  genius  lives  to  benefit 
the  world.  It  is  strange  such  a  limited  number  of  those  who  pretend 
to  be  seeking  to  find  something  worthy  of  mention  performed  by  the 
Karaites  along  the  line  of  their  existence  fail  to  remember  the  Phoeni- 
cians were  racially  identified  with  them,  who,  aside  from  their  idola- 
trous tendencies,  deserve  the  praise  and  appreciation  of  the  civilized 
world.  They  were  not  only  skillful  workmen,  but  inventors  of  such  great 
distinction,  that  they  have  furnished  the  world  with  some  of  the  most 
important  developments  that  move  the  progressive  people  of  our  globe. 
Their  works  stand  to  the  present  as  monuments  of  their  power  and 
genius.  Tyre  is  many  times  referred  to  in  the  Bible  ;  in  fact  it  became 
the  burden  of  prophecy,  for  six  of  them  were  divinely  commissioned 
to  speak  against  her  and  declare  its  utter  destruction.  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel,  Amos,  Zechariah  and  Joel,  all  prophesied  against  Tyre  with 
such  accuracy,  power  and  firmness,  there  can  be  no  doubts  entertained 
as  to  their  being  supernaturally  inspired  to  foresee  her  downfall. 

But  how  hath  the  mighty  fallen !  Tyre,  the  great  and  beautiful 
city,  that  in  the  days  of  her  glory  was  mistress  of  the  sea,  has  been 
brought  low ;  she  has  become  a  heap  of  ruins,  and  her  glory  and  pride 
have  come  to  dust.  Her  spacious  towers  and  massive  walls,  her 
splendid  arches  and  deep  vaults,  are  crumbling  beneath  the  hand  of 
time.  That  which  escaped  the  instruments  of  war,  the  earthquakes 
finished ;  and  many  of  her  rich  treasures,  that  for  centuries  were 
buried  under  massive  ruins,  have  been  washed  into  the  sea  by  the 
innovations  of  the  billows.  The  towers  of  the  old  city,  it  is  said,  could 
be  seen  from  afar  as  the  trading  vessels  approached  ;  and  the  high 
walls  formed  a  fortress  that  defied  the  arm  of  the  most  powerful  foe 
for  a  long  time.  Her  vigilant  fleet  was  ever  alert,  guarding  with  care 
the  approaches  to  her  portals.  But  they  have  all  disappeared  forever. 
Her  beauty  and  pride,  her  spinning-wheels  and  tools  for  the  work  of 
fine  ai'ts,  her  merchants  and  merchandise  have  all  been  brought  low, 

even  into  the  dust. 

BURIED   TREASURES. 

The  final  demolition  of  the  city,  which  occurred  near  the  end  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  left  nothing  but  mounds  of  stone  and  debris,  much 
of  which  was  transferred  to  Acre  and  Sidon  for  building  purposes. 
The  present  town  is  built  over  ruins  of  the  city  of  the  Crusaders, 
which  lies  buried  several  feet  beneath  it ;  and  deeper  still  are  the  dusty 
remains  of  the  Mohammedan  and  early  Christian  city  of  Tyre.  But  the 
great  and  beautiful  ancient  city,  that  was  mistress  of  the  sea  and  pride 


374  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

of  Phoenicia,  over  which  King  Hiram  swayed  the  sceptre,  and  was, 
after  a  most  bloody  and  deadly  conflict,  captured  by  Alexander  the 
Great,  lies  deeply  entombed  under  the  cities  that  have  been  built  over 
her  grave.  It  is  currently  believed,  from  evidences  several  times 
developed,  that  there  are  many  valuable  treasures  yet  remaining 
among  the  deeply-buried  ruins,  as  various  denominations  of  ancient 
coins  have  been  found  in  those  parts  that  have  been  washed  out  by 
the  waves  of  the  sea.  But  the  inhabitants  seem  to  have  no  disposition 
to  seek  it ;  they  lurk  around  the  place  where  the  waves  are  likely  to 
undermine,  to  pick  up  what  they  can  find,  but  exhibit  no  ambition  to 
seek  further.  Many  valuable  metals  have  been  found  after  the  high 
tide  abated  at  various  times,  that  would  be  highly  appreciated  by  all 
tourists  could  they  procure  them.  ■ 

While  in  Tyre  I  stopped  at  the  Latin  Convent,  and  one  of  the  offi- 
cials presented  me  with  several  pieces  of  old  coin ;  some  of  them  were 
current  in  the  time  of  King  Solomon  and  King  Hiram.  It  was  a  very 
acceptable  gift  to  me,  and  one  that  will  ever  be  gratefully  remembered. 
In  almost  every  direction  in  and  about  the  town  deep  caves  exist, 
caused  by  the  sinking  in  of  decayed  ruins.  Many  look  as  though  they 
would  afford  safe  retreats  for  bandits  and  other  outlaws,  whose  presence 
in  the  country  is  so  greatly  dreaded.  Just  about  six  miles  south-east 
of  Tyre  is  situated  on  the  hillside,  near  the  Safed  road,  the  tomb  of  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  and  illustrious  men  known  to  the  Phoenicians. 
It  is  the  monument  beneath  which  lie  the  dusty  remains  of  King 
Hiram  of  Tyre,  the  memory  of  whom  will  go  down  to  the  latest  genera- 
tion. This  venerable  relic  stands  alone,  out  from  the  scenes  of  busy 
life,  but  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  sepulchres  in 
the  world,  because  of  the  distinction  the  character  achieved  whose 
remains  are  resting  there.  It  is  an  immense  sarcophagus  of  lime- 
stone, hewn  out  of  a  single  block,  and  standing  on  a  base  formed  of 
three  courses  of  large,  white  stones,  nine  feet  and  eight  inches  high. 
The  sarcophagus  itself  measures  twelve  feet  and  two  inches  in  length, 
and  seven  feet  and  nine  inches  in  width  ;  it  tapers  slightly  towards  the 
top.  The  lid  is  made  with  large  ridges  in  the  direction  of  its  length, 
and  is  three  feet  seven  inches  high  in  the  centre,  and  two  feet  ten  inches 
at  the  sides.  Immediately  at  the  north  side  of  the  monument  two 
flights  of  rough  steps  lead  to  an  artificial  cavern,  ten  feet  long,  eight 
feet  wide,  and  five  feet  high.  There  is  a  general  agreement  as  to  the 
identity  of  this  tomb  as  that  of  King  Hiram,  the  ally  of  King  Solo- 
mon, whose  skilled  men  in  fine  arts  greatly  assisted  the  latter. 

Close  to  the  tomb  of  Hiram  is  another,  which,  in  some  respects. 


FROM   MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  375 

resembles  that  of  the  illustrious  king  of  Tyre,  aud  is  generally  regarded 
as  the  resting-place  of  Hiram  of  Tyre,  the  widow's  son.  There  seems 
to  be  several  well-founded  reasons  for  regarding  this  tomb  as  identical 
AA'ith  that  of  Hiram  AbifF.  Not  far  from  these  tombs  are  several  others, 
differing  widely  from  the  above,  in  which  it  is  thought  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  Tyrians  have  been  buried. 

In  one  of  those  tombs  is  a  remarkable  group  of  fifteen  stone  figures 
that  w^ere  carefully  carved,  representing  male  and  female;  all  but 
three  or  four  are  standing  erect,  with  their  hands  placed  one  upon  the 
other  in  front  of  their  breasts.  It  is  said  this  is  the  usual  attitude  of 
the  Phoenicians  when  they  paid  their  devotions  to  Baal  and  Astarte. 
The  statue  in  the  midst  of  the  group  is  supposed  to  represent  Baal. 
Towards  this  deity  three  men  and  a  woman  are  approaching.  The 
statues  are  much  disfigured,  no  doubt  by  the  hands  of  invaders,  which 
is  a  common  custom  in  the  East.  In  this  way  all  the  statues  of  ancient 
date  in  Egypt  have  been  mutilated.  It  is  likely  that  all  the  great 
images  the  Phoenicians  set  up  have  been  destroyed  in  this  way.  If 
these  ancient  tombs  could  have  been  preserved  in  Phoenicia  as  in  many 
other  places,  the  historians  would  have  had  a  greater  advantage  in 
obtaining  a  correct  idea  of  the  characters  they  illustrate,  for  instead 
of  probability  there  would  be  certainty  designating  each  of  them. 

Ten  miles  and  a  half  north  of  Tyre  the  site  of  ancient  Zarephath 
or  Sarepta  is  entered.  This  is  the  town  to  which  the  Lord  directed 
Elijah  to  journey,  and  make  his  home  with  a  poor  widow,  when  the 
brook  dried  near  which  he  was  hiding  from  the  wrath  of  Ahab 
While  here  he  raised  the  widow's  son,  who  had  suddenly  died.  There 
is  nothing  to  be  seen  in  the  place  now,  except  great  masses  of  ruins 
covering  a  large  space.  The  town  was  abandoned  by  the  inhabitants 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  because  of  the  insecurity  of  the  plain  in  which 
it  was  located,  and  they  built  up  a  village  on  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, not  far  away,  and  named  it  Surafend.  Some  have  supposed  this 
old  site  to  be  identical  with  Misrephoth-maim.  There  is  but  little 
known  of  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine  and  Syria,  prior  to  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Hamites,  who  came  in  the  land  in  large  companies,  and 
made  vast  improvements  in  all  parts  in  which  they  located,  so  that  in 
process  of  time,  it  became  one  of  the  most  progressive  countries  in  the 

world. 

PRIMITIVE  CANAANITES. 

The  Canaanites  were  divided  into  eleven  tribes,  according  to  the 
information  the  Bible  furnishes  us.  This  great  Canaanitish  nation 
must  be  acknowledged,  by  all  fair-minded  people,  as  one  of  the  most 


376  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

progressive  people  the  world  contained.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  men- 
tion the  tribes  respectively,  and  the  parts  of  the  country  they  inhab 
ited  Avheu  Joshua  entered  Canaan  with  the  children  of  Israel. 

The  Phoenicians  settled  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean 
from  Gebal,  on  the  north,  to  Acre  on  the  south.  It  is  also  evident 
they  occupied  the  tract  between  Acre  and  Haifa,  for  they  had  a  garri- 
son on  the  west  border  of  Mount  Carmel.  The  Hittites  were  descend- 
ants of  Heth,  who  was  the  oldest  son  of  Canaan.  This  tribe  was 
divided  into  two  divisions  :  those  on  the  south  occupied  the  territory 
around  Hebron  ;  the  northern  division  lived  back  from  the  sea  in  the 
northern  districts  of  Syria,  and  along  the  Orontes  valley  ;  their  capital 
city  was  Kadesh.  The  Jebusites  selected  the  country  in  and  about 
Jerusalem  ;  Oman,  who  had  the  threshing-floor,  in  the  time  of  David, 
on  Mount  Moriah,  was  of  this  tribe.  He  was  an  important  helper  to 
the  king  in  the  time  of  his  great  trouble.  The  Amorites  were  a  pow- 
erful j^eople  ;  they  were  also  divided  into  distinct  portions  ;  those  on 
the  south  settled  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  in  the  district  of  Engedi,  a 
very  mountainous  and  wild  country.  They  afterward  crossed  the 
Jordan  and  established  two  highly  prosperous  kingdoms  known  as 
Heshbon  and  Bashan. 

The  northern  Amorites  settled  in  the  plain  of  the  Beka'a,  between 
Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  on  the  south  of  the  Hittites.  The  Ger- 
gasites  occupied  the  district  which  was  known  in  later  times  as  Deca- 
polis.  The  Havites  were  a  very  popular  tribe,  and  finally  divided  into 
two  distinct  portions  ;  that  on  the  north  selected  their  portion  of  ter- 
ritory on  the  Anti-Lebanon  district,  extending  as  far  as  Hamath, 
which  seems  to  have  been  the  most  northern  limit  of  the  Cauaanitish 
territory.  The  Havites,  on  the  south,  settled  at  Shechem,  and  the 
whole  country  round  about  as  far  south  as  Gibeon.  The  Arkites  set- 
tled in  the  plain  on  the  north  of  Lebanon,  which  was  well  watered  and 
fruitful.  The  Sinites  occupied  the  whole  of  the  mountain  tract  of 
Lebanon.  The  Arvadites  lived  along  the  seacoast  on  the  north  of 
Sidon,  having  their  chief  seat  on  the  Island  of  Aradus.  The  Zemar- 
ites  also  inhabited  a  portion  of  the  coast  (it  is  thought)  between  the 
Phcenicians  and  the  Arvadites.  This  tribe  seems  to  have  been  one  of 
the  smallest  of  the  Canaanites.  The  Hamathites  settled  in  the  city  of 
Hamath,  and  this  district  divided  the  Hittites  from  the  Amorites  along 
the  Orontes.  It  should  be  remembered  that  these  various  tribes  were 
called  Canaanites,  because  they  descended  from  the  same  chief  ances- 
tor. The  most  of  the  tribes  were  progressive,  industrious  and  brave, 
but  the  most  important  of  them  in  point  of  prosperity  were  the 
Phoenicians. 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  377 

The  country  inhabited  by  the  Canaanites,  and  afterwards  given  to 
the  children  of  Israel,  has  been  known  under  several  names ;  the  most 
prominent  was  "  Canaan,"  after  the  general  name  of  the  people  whose 
influence  and  progressiveness  were  known  throughout  the  realm  of  civ- 
ilization. They  were  inventors  of  the  most  intricate  arts  and  sciences 
of  their  age.  There  are  several  who  have  written  historical  sketches 
concerning  this  wonderfully  progressive  people,  who  have  failed  to 
appreciate  them  properly  for  the  enterprising  spirit  they  exhibited ; 
and  others  seem  to  have  been  puzzled  to  know  to  which  race  they 
belonged.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  take  the  Phoenicians  out  of 
the  Hamitic  stock  and  give  them  to  Sbem  or  Japheth.  Others  say 
they  were  of  doubtful  origin,  and  therefore  fail  to  give  them  to  either 
race.  It  is  strange  that  all  other  races  can  be  traced  to  a  distinct 
origin  and  placed  with  the  class  to  which  they  proj^erly  belong. 

Because  these  Hamites  were  an  important  people  attempts  have 
been  made  to  rob  them  of  their  proper  place  in  the  catalogue  of  races. 
The  Bible  tells  us  plainly  the  Phoenicians  were  descendants  of  Canaan, 
the  son  of  Ham,  and  any  one  who  will  take  the  time  to  read  the  Bible 
account  of  their  origin  must  concede  the  fact.  It  is  well  understood 
the  youngest  son  of  Ham  was  named  Canaan,  whose  posterity  was 
very  numerous,  so  that  it  became  necessary  for  them  to  seek  a  new 
territory.  They  migrated  from  their  home  and  settled  along  the 
eastern  border  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  north  of  Mount  Carmel ; 
then  spread  themselves  over  much  of  the  interior,  as  described  above. 
The  first  city  founded  by  them  was  called  Sidon,  after  the  first  son  of 
Canaan.  Making  this  city  their  capital,  they  began  to  spead  over  the 
most  fruitful  districts  in  the  land.  They  settled  in  communities,  call- 
ing each  by  a  particular  name  to  designate  one  from  the  other.  But  the 
country  became  known  by  the  name  of  the  ancestor  of  the  people, 
"  Canaan,"  whose  name  was  adopted  by  all  his  descendants.  The  fol- 
lowing is  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  concerning  them:  "  And  Canaan 
begat  Sidon  his  first  born,  and  Heth,  and  the  Jebusite,  and  the  Amorite, 
and  the  Girgasite,  and  the  Hivite,  and  the  Arkite,  and  the  Zemarite, 
and  the  Hamathite  ;  and  afterward  were  all  the  families  of  Canaan 
spread  abroad."  "  And  the  border  of  the  Canaanites  was  from  Sidon, 
as  thou  goest  toward  Gerar,  unto  Gaza ;  as  thou  goest  toward  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  and  Admah  and  Zeboim,  unto  Lasha.  These  are  the 
sons  of  Ham  after  their  families,  after  their  tongues,  in  their  lands,  in 
their  nations." 

The  Hittites  appear  to  be  the  most  numerous  of  all  the  tribes ; 
they  soon  became  a  j)owerful  and  warlike  people.     They  formed  them- 


378  THE  LAND   OF   PEOMISE. 

selves  into  a  separate  government  entirely  independent  of  the  other 
tribes,  submitting  themselves  to  one  general  head  instead  of  having 
independent  rulers  over  each  town  and  village,  known  as  the  Sheikh, 
which  seems  to  have  been  the  custom  of  a  majority  of  the  tribes,  which 
was  the  cause  of  many  severe  internal  struggles.  The  Hittites  were 
the  descendants  of  Heth  ;  their  first  settlement  was  on  the  west  of  the 
Sea  of  Tiberias,  but  in  time  they  became  so  numerous  it  was  necessary 
for  them  to  divide,  and  as  early  as  the  time  of  Abraham  a  great  num- 
ber of  them  had  moved  to  the  south  and  settled  about  Hebron.  This 
was  a  brave,  warlike  and  progressive  people.  Many  emblems  of  their 
chariots  and  other  war  implements  are  still  seen  among  the  broken 
shafts  and  monuments  in  Egypt. 

It  was  to  the  Hittites  Abraham  applied  for  a  burial-place  to  lay  the 
remains  of  Sarah  to  rest,  and  purchased  from  them  the  cave  Mach- 
pelah.  It  seems  that  this  tribe  was  not  lost  sight  of,  until  after  the  Jews 
returned  fi*om  cajjtivity.  Uriah,  one  of  David's  royal  officers  whom 
he  caused  to  be  treacherously  put  to  death,  that  his  adulterous  conduct 
with  Bath-Sheba  (Uriah's  wife)  might  not  be  unfolded,  was  a  Hittite 
It  will  be  seen  by  this,  the  Hamitic  race  were  not  only  the  menials  in 
Israel,  but  held  royal  positions.  It  seems  the  Arvadites  and  Zemarites, 
because  of  their  position  along  the  coast,  became  blended  with  the 
Sidonians  so  intimately,  that  they  were  known  by  the  same  name,  and 
became  a  portion  of  the  most  enterprising,  skillful  and  prosperous  peo- 
ple of  the  Canaanitish  families.  The  origin  of  the  Phoenicians,  there- 
fore, is  perfectly  clear  and  distinctly  stated  in  the  Bible.  They  were  first 
known  as  Sidonians  for  many  ages  (2  Sam.  xi.  3-27 ;  Gen.  x  15—20 ; 
Ezra  ix.  1),  because  they  were  descendants  of  Sidon,  the  oldest  son  of 
Canaan ;  and  Canaanites  because  Canaan  Avas  their  great  ancestor. 
But  they  were  called  Phoenicians  by  the  Greeks  and  Komans.  This 
was  the  name  given  to  the  district  in  which  they  lived  rather  than  a 
racial  title ;  just  as  it  is  common  to  call  a  resident  of  Washington,  a 

Washingtonian. 

HISTORICAL  ASSOCIATIONS. 

The  name  Phoenicia  was  given  to  a  tract  of  country  in  Palestine, 
embracing  a  narrow  strip  of  frontier  laud,  between  the  hills  of  northern 
Canaan,  the  mountains  of  Lebanon  on  the  east,  and  the  Mediterranean 
on  the  west.  But  notwithstanding  the  title  given  the  district  by  the 
Greeks  and  Roman.s,  the  inhabitants  clung  to  their  original  name  and 
called  themselves  Canaanites.  The  accounts  given  us  concerning  these 
people  are  but  meagre  ;  for  their  real  history  was  destroyed.  But  enough 
has  been  gleaned  from  the  Bible  and  other  places  to  assure  us  they 


FKOM   MOUNT  CAKMEL   TO  DAMASCUS.  379 

were  of  Hamitic  origin,  and  known  to  belong  to  the  families  of  Canaan, 
who  spread  themselves  over  the  land  They  developed  into  a  great 
people,  possessing  a  high  degree  of  literature,  and  kept  accurate  records 
of  their  history  ;  and  had  not  the  most  important  accounts  of  their 
progress  been  destroyed,  we  should  be  much  more  enlightened  as  to 
their  wonderful  intellectual  powers  and  historical  value.  The  numer- 
ous manuscripts,  compiled  by  their  scribes,  were  committed  to  the 
flames  by  foes,  who  after  many  attempts  succeeded  in  overthrowing 
Tyre,  their  capital,  and  demolished  everything  valuable. 

There  have  been  exhaustive  investigations  made  by  men  of 
brilliant  minds  to  find  something  reliable  that  would  allow  them  to 
trace  the  origin  of  the  Phoenicians  to  Shem  or  Japheth ;  but  they  have 
failed  in  their  attempt.  The  Bible  account  of  their  racial  descent  is 
conclusive ;  and  were  it  not  for  this.  Ham  would  no  doubt  be  robbed, 
in  general  estimation  of  his  fatherhood,  of  one  of  the  most  energetic 
and  skillful  people  known  to  the  world  in  their  day.  Although  we 
have  the  clear  facts  of  the  word  of  God  concerning  them,  there  seem 
to  be  a  few  authors  who  fail  to  comprehend  them,  and  contend  that  the 
Phoenicians  are  descendants  of  Shem.  Rawlinson  is  quoted  as  hav- 
ing said,  in  giving  the  world  the  benefit  of  his  convictions  as  to  the 
origin  of  this  people  :  "  On  the  whole,  it  may  be  concluded,  that  the 
Canaanites  and  Phoenicians  were  two  distinct  races  ;  the  former  being 
the  original  occupants  of  the  country,  and  the  latter  being  immigrants 
of  a  comparatively  recent  date."'  This  is  a  tremendous  step  backward 
to  dodge  a  plain  Bible  truth,  which  teaches  to  the  contrary  ;  for  every 
one  who  has  examined  the  Holy  Scriptures,  concerning  the  origin  of 
the  people  known  as  Phoenicians,  must,  in  all  fairness,  conclude  that 
they  were  composed  of  the  Sidonians,  Arvadites  and  Zemarites,  in  con- 
nection with  a  few  from  some  or  all  of  the  other  Canaanitish  tribes. 
These,  without  a  doubt,  were  that  great  people,  called  by  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  Phoenicians,  but  known  in  the  Scriptures  as  Canaanites 
and  the  descendants  of  the  fourth  son  of  Ham.  There  is  but  one 
conclusion  for  all  unbiased  and  reliable  authors,  who  claim  to  be  guided 
by  the  standard  of  truth,  and  that  is,  the  Phoenicians  were,  beyond  all 
question,  Canaanites,  whose  great  anccestor  was  Ham. 

It  is  lamentably  true  that  this  wonderful  people,  so  full  of  progress 
and  genius,  were  ignorant  of  the  true  God  ;  notwithstanding  there 
must  have  existed  among  them  a  traditional  knowledge  of  His  deal- 
ings with  the  people  whose  sins  became  unbearable  before  the  flood 
was  visited  upon  them ;  yet  they  were  so  allied  to  Baal,  their  false 
deity,  that  their  eyes  were  closed  against  the  true  God.     They  were 


380  THE  LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

most  stubborn  in  their  idol   worship,  which,  without   doubt,  brought 
down  upon  their  government  repeated  visits  of  God's  just  indignation. 

THEIR    WIDESPREAD    INFLUENCE. 

But  when  we  turn  from  this  dreadful  and  most  damaging  evil,  and 
look  upon  this  people's  progress  in  art  and  science,  the  fact  must  be 
conceded,  that  we  cannot  point  to  a  civilized  people  on  the  globe  where 
Phoenician  influence  is  not  felt.  There  were  no  people  living,  in  the 
age  of  the  Phoenicians'  greatest  advancement,  who  surpassed  them  in 
.skilled  workmanship  and  naval  achievements.  Their  vessels  were 
built  so  as  to  be  used  for  battle-ships  in  the  time  of  war,  and  trading 
purposes  in  peace.  It  is  said  they  had  such  a  well-defined  code  of 
laws  for  the  government  of  their  fleet,  that  Athens,  the  foremost  mari- 
time state  in  Greece,  was  not  equal  to  her  in  disciplinary  regulations. 
Hence,  when  the  officials  of  Athens  wished  to  improve  their  military 
laws,  Xenophon  referred  to  the  Phoenician  vessels  as  the  best-known  in 
the  world  for  orderly  regulations  and  skillful  management.  The  Phoe- 
nicians were,  also,  the  great  leaders  in  the  use  of  astronomical  science 
in  navigation  ;  until  they  introduced  it,  the  world  was  ignorant  of  its 
value  to  navigators. 

The  connection  of  the  moon  with  the  tides,  and  how  it  influences 
their  ebb  and  flow,  was  first  brought  into  prominent  notice  by  the 
Phoenicians ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  great  sciences  that  aid  shipmasters  in 
many  ways  to-day.  Many  precious  lives  have  been  saved  by  a  knowl- 
edge of  it.  Each  of  the  Phoenician  cities  along  the  sea-border  was  noted 
for  some  specialty  that  particularly  characterized  it.  The  manufac- 
ture of  the  world-famed  purple  dye,  which  the  Tyrians  prepared  from 
a  certain  shell-fish,  gave  them  celebrity  throughout  the  civilized  world. 
The  people  of  tSidon  were  celebrated  because  of  the  knowledge  they 
had  in  manufacturing  glass.  Its  invention  and  use  in  Palestine  were 
first  introduced  by  the  Sidonians.  Some  authors  say  this  people  were 
the  first  inventors  of  glass  ;  but  this  is  strongly  doubted  by  others,  who 
are  inclined  to  give  Egypt  the  honor  of  introducing  the  use  of  it,  and 
that  men  .skilled  in  the  art  ^yere  sent  over  from  that  country  to  Sidon  to 
carry  on  the  work. 

It  is  known,  however,  that  glass  was  first  discovered  by  the  Canaan- 
itish  seamen  on  the  banks  of  the  Belus  River,  near  Acre ;  and  there  is 
now  to  be  seen  at  Ain  Musheirifeh  a  well  having  faint  traces  of  an  old 
foundation  near  it.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  site  of  ancient  Mis- 
rephoth,  the  limit  to  which  the  Israelites  caused  the  Canaanites  to 
retreat,  and  the  identical  place  where  they  established  a  glass  factory 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  381 

long  before  the  Hebrews  entered  the  country.  It  is  likely  that  the  old 
ruins  scattered  about  are  the  withering  remains  of  the  ancient  glass 
works  founded  in  the  time  of  the  Karaites'  occupancy  of  Canaan. 
Now  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  matter  of  very  great  importance, 
whether  glass  was  first  invented  in  Egypt  or  Canaan,  so  far  as  it  per- 
tains to  the  race  to  whom  the  honor  of  bringing  it  into  use  is  con- 
cerned, for  in  either  case  the  Hamiticrace  is  entitled  to  the  first  honor. 
It  seems  the  Phoenicians  were  inventors  of  several  musical  instru- 
ments, which  they  played  with  great  skill.  With  one  or  two  excep- 
tions, there  was  a  general  idea  of  government  existing  among  the 
tribes,  which  they  endorsed  early  after  settling  in  Canaan.  They  had 
no  disposition  to  form  a  general  government  under  a  chief  executive 
and  become  a  strongly  fortified  people,  but  each  city  was  a  kind  of 
independent  sovereignty  in  itself.  The  stronger  cities  were  usually 
looked  up  to  for  protection  by  the  dwellers  in  the  towns  and  villages 
in  cases  of  necessity.  This  gave  the  ruler,  who  guarded  the  welfare  of 
the  neighboring  towns,  the  right  as  chief  adviser,  which  the  people 
felt  to  be  under  obligations  to  observe.  This  state  of  affairs  intro- 
duced many  disastrous  troubles,  which  would  have  been  avoided  if 
they  had  formed  a  general  government.  The  Tyrians  had  a  large 
slave  population,  which  seems  to  have  been  more  numerous  than  the 
free  citizens.  These  slaves  were  taken  from  various  parts  of  the  world 
by  traders,  somewhat  on  the  plan  African  slaves  were  obtained  in 
the  United  States  of  America.  At  times  the  bondsmen  would  cause 
the  Phoenicians  much  trouble,  which  on  one  occasion  at  least  caused 
great  torture,  much  bloodshed  and  the  loss  of  many  lives.  All  of  this 
could  have  been  instantly  checked  if  the  people  had  been  united  in  a 
general  government ;  but  under  the  circumstances  the  Tyrians  were 
compelled  to  fight  their  own  battle  when  domestic  trouble  confronted 
them.  When  foreign  invaders  came  up  against  them  the  whole  people 
would  unite  to  secure  the  general  welfare  of  their  country. 

The  best  evidence  obtainable  as  to  the  founding  of  Sidon  and  Tyre, 
the  two  most  important  Phoenician  cities,  shows  that  the  former  was 
built  about  fourteen  hundred  years  before  King  Solomon's  time,  and 
the  latter  at  an  early  subsequent  period.  With  the  beginning  of  Solo- 
mon's reign  a  historical  notice  of  their  doings  is  recorded.  The  king 
succeeded  by  Hiram  was  Ahibal,  from  whose  time  a  written  sketch 
has  been  preserved.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  the  Phoenicians 
reached  their  meridian  in  progressive  development  about  the  time 
Solomon  came  into  power.  Hiram  Abiff"  was  one  of  the  most  skillful 
workmen  in  the  country  at  that  time,  and  was  master  of  the  artistic 


382  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

workmanship  in  carving  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron,  stone,  and  timbers, 
and  was  equally  expert  in  preparing  the  purple,  the  blue,  the  vine 
levin,  and  the  various  engravings.  Therefore  King  Hiram  sent  him 
to  look  after  the  work  of  the  Temple.  It  was,  it  seems,  an  ordinary 
custom  with  the  Phoenicians  to  carve  their  names  in  some  of  the  founda- 
tion stones  of  buildings  of  extraordinary  character.  This  they  did  on 
some  of  the  stones  composing  the  foundation  of  the  Temple. 

It  has  been  discovered  that  several  stones  of  the  ancient  Temple 
that  were  used  in  the  foundation  have  the  names  of  the  Phoenicians 
carved  on  them.  We  were  informed,  while  passing  through  the  Temple 
area,  old  foundation  stones  are  found  as  the  work  of  investigation  pro- 
ceeds. These  are  very  deep  down  in  the  earth,  and  all  that  had  been 
found  bearing  inscriptions  were  those  that  had  been  carved  by  the 
Phoenicians.  We  have  reason  to  believe  the  Israelites  were  employed, 
in  common  with  the  Canaanites,  in  preparing  stone  for  the  building  ; 
but  they  failed  to  set  their  mark  upon  it,  that  their  work  might  be  dis- 
tinguished from  their  Phoenician  associates.  There  is  a  remarkable 
coincidence  in  the  reign  of  Solomon  and  Hiram.  Under  their  official 
jurisdiction  both  kingdoms  were  prosperous,  and  reached  the  highest 
point  of  their  national  greatness,  and  when  these  monarchs  died  the 
gates  of  success,  hitherto  opened  to  the  two  kingdoms,  were  suddenly 
closed,  and  they  began  to  decline.  It  is  stated  Hiram  was  succeeded 
by  Balieastartus,  his  son,  whose  reign  was  comparatively  short.  This 
decline  took  place  in  the  tenth  century  b.  c.  Then  domestic  troubles 
became  prominent,  and  the  kingdom  of  the  Israelites  divided,  and  at 
the  same  time  foreign  nations  were  covetously  looking  towards 
Phoenicia.  Indeed,  the  government  of  Tyre  never  became  prominent 
after  the  decline  began.  It  was  continually  haunted  with  "  fightings 
without  and  fears  within."  The  last  representative  of  Hiram's  family 
who  held  the  sceptre  of  power  was  Philetus,  who  fell  in  the  second 
year  of  the  ninth  century  by  the  murderous  hand  of  Ethbaal. 
"Ethbaal,"  who  assumed  the  ruling  jurisdiction  of  the  kingdom, 
thereby  formed  a  new  dynasty,  causing  the  kingdom  of  Tyre  to  pass 
into  the  hands  of  his  own  family  in  regular  succession.  It  seems  that 
during  his  reign  Ahab  was  installed  king,  to  succeed  Omri,  his  father. 
The  king  of  Tyre  (Ethbaal  j,  like  the  former  rulers,  was  on  intimate 
terms  with  Israel,  and  gave  his  daughter  Jezebel  in  marriage  to  Ahab. 

Sidon,  the  mother  of  Phoenician  cities,  was  one  of  the  most  ancient 
cities  in  the  world.  It  is  mentioned  in  the  early  writing  of  human 
progress,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  very  soon  after  the  dis- 
persion, or  about  twenty -three  hundred  years  before  Christ.     It  is  men- 


FEOM   MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  383 

tioned  in  connection  with  the  first  events,  when  the  work!  began  to 
increase  in  poiJulation,  of  the  Land  of  Promise  by  the  Canaanites. 
Josephus  says  the  city  was  built  by  Sidon,  the  oldest  son  of  Canaan, 
and  named  after  him. 

Long  before  the  children  of  Lsrael  entered  the  country  from 
their  wilderness  wanderings,  Sidon  had  a  wide-spread  fame,  and  was 
known  as  Great  Sidon,  so  called  by  Joshua  in  distinguishing  it  from 
another  city  of  the  same  name  in  the  interior,  because  of  the  wonder- 
ful achievements  the  people  had  made  in  progress.  The  inhabitants 
were  a  thrifty,  energetic,  and  prosperous  people,  doing  everything  they 
attempted  in  the  best  possible  way.  Their  indomitable  spirit  of  enter- 
prise made  them  not  only  an  equal,  but  superior  to  all  other  nations 
who  followed  the  same  employments.  The  ancient  writers  unite  in 
their  statement  concerning  the  people  of  Sidon,  that  they  were  pro- 
gressive citizens  and  stood  in^he  front  ranks  of  the  cultured  classes  of 
their  day.  Their  architects  were  the  best  in  Syria,  and  they  seem  to 
have  maintained  that  character  during  the  many  ages  of  independ- 
ence. Strabo  says,  the  Sidonians  were  celebrated  in  astronomical 
science,  in  geometry,  navigation  and  philosophy.  This  must  be  true, 
otherwise  the  j^eople  would  not  have  reached  such  a  high  state  of  pros- 
perity and  distinction. 

SOME  OF  ITS  STRUGGLES. 

The  situation  of  Sidon  was  far  more  exposed  than  Tyre,  and  was 
much  less  trouble  to  attack.  It  was  captured  in  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  B.C.,  by  Shalmaneser,  who  became  famous  as  a  great  warrior 
on  account  of  the  many  victories  he  won  while  king  of  Assyria.  It 
was  also  subdued  by  Artaxerxes,  king  of  Persia,  several  years  later. 
But  when  Alexander  the  Great  went  up  against  the  city,  the  people 
regarded  any  attempt  to  withstand  his  army  but  a  fruitless  issue,  and 
surrendered  immediately.  In  this,  the  difference  between  Sidon  and 
Tyre  is  seen  in  regard  to  their  situation  in  case  of  an  attack.  When 
the  great  conqueror  attempted  to  besiege  the  latter,  he  found  it  much 
more  difficult.  The  city  was  well  fortified  and  hard  to  approach.  The 
Tyrians  were  not  willing  to  surrender  without  compelling  him  to  win, 
by  a  great  struggle,  every  inch  of  ground  upon  which  his  men  should 
set  their  feet.  Therefore,  he  was  withstood  most  manfully  for  seven 
consecutive  mouths  before  his  victory  w^as  complete. 

Sidon  was  captured  at  least  six  times  after  the  death  of  Alexander, 
at  each  of  which  the  whole  city  was  plundered  and  ransacked,  so 
that  it  finally  became  deserted,  and   remained  so  a  long  time  before 


384  THE   LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

signs  of  a  revival  were  hopeful.  Finally,  the  city  was  partially 
restored,  and  at  present  compares  favorably  with  the  majority  of  small 
cities  and  large  towns  along  the  Mediterranean  coast.  There  is  but 
little  of  antique  importance  within  the  city  limits  of  interest  to  histori- 
cal visitors.  But  some  of  the  ancient  tombs,  a  short  distance  from  it, 
are  regarded  as  highly  important.  The  most  renowned  of  them  are 
those  of  Ashmanezer,  Sidon's  greatest  monarch,  and  Alexander  the 
Great,  the  world's  most  famous  conqueror.  The  tomb  of  the  former 
was  discovered  in  January,  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-five ;  the  latter, 
thirty-seven  years  later.  The  remains  of  each  of  these  great  and 
mighty  men  w^ere  removed  ;  those  of  Ashmanezer  were  taken  to  Paris 
and  placed  in  the  Louvre,  and  those  of  Alexander  were  placed  in  the 
Museum  at  Constantinople.  There  are  many  beautiftil  orange  orchards 
about  Sidon,  which  are  very  fruitful,  and  are  regarded  as  some  of  the 
finest  in  all  the  land. 

Now,  when  we  take  into  consideration  what  the  Canaanites  have 
done  for  the  good  of  the  world,  and  that  many  of  the  inventions  pro- 
duced by  their  progressive  minds  have  been  improved  and  are  still 
being  used  by  land  and  sea,  we  cannot  fail  to  see  that  the  descendants 
of  Ham  have  been  as  much  (if  not  more)  benefit  to  the  world  as  any 
other  race  in  it.  To  say  these  Phceniciaus  were  not  of  the  families  of 
Canaan  is  to  deny  the  word  of  God  ;  and  to  affirm  as  some  do,  without 
a  single  evidence,  they  became  extinct  before  the  period  of  the  great 
achievements  made  by  the  people  called  Phoenicians,  by  whom  they 
were  supjilanted,  is  worse  than  folly.  For  it  is  well  known  the  original 
Phoenicians  did  not  lose  their  identity  in  the  country  until  after  the 
captivity  of  the  Israelites. 

THE  LEBANON  RANGE. 

The  range  of  Lebanon  is  one  of  the  most  noted  in  Syria  and  Pal- 
estine, It  is  very  low,  continuing  many  miles  in  length,  connecting 
with  a  number  of  parallel  ridges  and  peaks  having  deep  valleys  be- 
tween them.  There  are  other  portions  containing  a  number  of  trans- 
verse valleys,  some  of  which  are  beautiful  and  green,  affording  rich 
pasture  for  thousands  of  cattle. 

This  great  mountain  chain  of  Lebanon,  which,  to  look  upon,  seems 
as  if  it  were  struggling  towards  the  region  of  perpetual  snow,  but  has 
not  as  yet  reached  the  line  of  its  destination,  affords  enough  atmospheric 
pressure  to  hold  the  barometer  to  a  point  where  snow  can  be  kept  the 
year  around  in  sheds  or  storage  provided  for  that  j^urpose.  Its  highest 
peaks  are  situated  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  chain  ;  were  they 


FROM  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  385 

to  the  extreme  northern  limit,  it  is  likely  snow  would  be  on  them  almost 
the  year  round.  Those  parts  of  the  country  which  cluster  around  the 
base  of  Lebanon  are  furnished  with  a  beautiful  supply  of  water  and 
heavy  dews  constantly,  while  those  more  remote  parts  are  scantily 
Avatered.  This  towering  mountain  yielding  its  moisture  incessantly  is 
the  life  of  Damascus ;  without  it  she  would  not  be  the  beautiful  city 
of  gardens,  which  she  has  been  always  called.  There  is  but  one  road 
leading  over  the  mountain  between  Damascus  and  Bey  rout,  which  is 
known  as  the  "Diligence  Road."  This  is  one  of  the  finest  highwa3's 
in  the  land.  It  belongs  to  a  French  company,  and  is  kept  in  the  best 
repair,  so  that  the  stages,  by  making  an  early  start,  drive  the  whole 
distance  of  seventy  miles  between  Damascus  and  Beyrout  in  one  day. 
There  are  several  stations  along  the  road  where  the  teams  are  changed. 

When  the  mountain  ascent  is  begun,  the  elevation  is  gradual  until 
a  half  mile  is  traveled.  The  road  then  begins  to  wind  in  a  zigzag 
style  up  the  lofty  mountain  side ;  sometimes  it  runs  along  a  ridge 
which  abounds  with  wild,  romantic  scenes,  and  soon  the  traveler  will 
find  himself  about  five  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  where 
the  scene  is  wilder  than  any  of  those  previously  seen,  and  the  only 
pleasant  attraction  is  a  large  grove  of  several  thousand  small  cedar 
trees.  Very  nearly  all  the  climates  are  passed  through  Avhile  making 
a  passage  over  the  mountain  of  Lebanon  and  Anti- Lebanon,  from  an 
ice-cold  to  a  blood  heat.  The  rocks  in  many  parts  of  the  mountains 
are  very  porous,  and  have  been  worn  by  the  action  of  air  and  water 
into  many  deep  caves  and  hollows.  These  afforded  safe  retreats  for 
many  persecuted  Christians  and  Jews,  who  fled  from  the  wrath  of  their 
pursuers,  on  occasions  when  dreadful  religious  mutinies  suddenly 
matured  to  exterminate  them.  It  seems  as  if  God  caused  these  caves 
to  be  opened  against  the  day  of  conflict,  as  a  refuge  for  His  people. 

The  tillable  land  of  Lebanon  is  very  fertile,  and  many  of  the 
farmers  are  in  a  state  of  commendable  prosperity.  But  the  country 
comprising  the  Anti- Lebanon  district  is  wild,  barren  and  desolate; 
some  portions  of  the  road  through  this  scene  of  desolation  were  noted 
as  favorite  lurking  haunts  for  robbers.  At  Hameh,  a  few  miles  from 
Damascus,  a  favorable  change  begins,  from  the  w'ild  and  lonely 
scenery  to  verdure  and  fertility ;  more  and  more  the  way  becomes 
cheerful  and  lifelike.  The  river  Abana  with  its  tributaries  flows 
directly  from  the  heights  of  Anti-Lebanon  to  the  plateau  at  the  eastern 
base,  giving  Damascus  a  beautiful  girdle  of  gardens.  The  cedars  of 
Lebanon  became  celebrated  and  widely  known  from  the  time  of  the 
building  of  the  Temple  ;  because  the  hewers  in  great  multitudes,  both 
25 


386  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Israelites  and  Phoenicians,  were  sent  to  cut  down  the  trees  and  prepare 
them  for  the  use  of  the  building.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  there 
was  in  those  days  a  very  extensive  forest  of  lai'ge  and  beautiful  cedars 
from  which  the  workmen  selected  the  best  to  send  up  to  Jerusalem. 

It  is  often  a  disappointment  to  travelers  going  from  Beyrout  to 
Damascus,  over  a  portion  of  the  most  mountainous  region  of  the  Leb- 
anon range,  not  to  see  the  lofty  cedai's,  of  which  so  much  has  been  writ- 
ten, both  in  sacred  and  profane  history.  The  remaining  large  cedars 
are  situated  on  a  group  of  knolls,  in  the  middle  of  a  vast  seclusion  in 
the  central  ridge  of  the  mountain  range,  at  the  head  of  Wady  (val- 
ley) Kadisha.  It  is  not  a  large  forest ;  those  who  have  had  time  and 
means  for  surveying  it,  estimate  it  to  be  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
in  circumference,  and  containing  about  four  hundred  trees.  On  approach- 
ing them  from  a  distance,  they  appear  so  small  that  one  feels  he  is  not 
half  compensated  for  the  pains  it  requires  to  go  to  them.  But  when 
the  small  forest  is  reached,  after  a  fatiguing  ride  for  one  or  two  hours, 
the  full  size  of  the  trees  is  seen  and  one's  fullest  expectation  is  at  once 
gratified.  Some  tourists  have  pronounced  it  the  most  lovely  specimen 
forest  they  have  ever  beheld.  One  thing  which  greatly  heightens  the 
appreciation  of  visitors,  is  the  comfort  it  affords  after  a  weary  horse- 
back ride  through  the  mountains  and  valleys  under  the  severe  pressure 
of  a  burning  sunny  day  ;  then  suddenly  entering  into  a  lovely  shade,  it 
would  seem  as  though  one  escaped  the  heat  of  a  furnace. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  this  forest  was  its  deep  soli- 
tude ;  but  that  has  been  largely  removed  by  the  erection  of  a  chapel  on 
the  site  where  it  is  supposed  many  of  the  timbers,  which  composed  the 
Temple,  were  taken  from.  There  are  about  a  dozen  of  the  most  ancient 
trees  yet  standing.  It  is  not  known  how  old  they  are,  but  some  of 
the  guides  would  have  us  believe  they  are  coeval  with  those  that 
furnished  timber  for  the  Temple  in  Solomon's  time.  It  is  known 
that  cedars,  under  favorable  circumstances,  live  to  a  great  age ;  but 
we  cannot  suppose  there  is  a  tree  standing  on  Lebanon,  which  had  an 
existence  when  the  busy  hewers  were  leveling  and  trimming  them  to 
take  their  place  in  the  first  house  built  for  the  worship  of  God.  If 
there  could  be  found  such  an  antique  cedar  in  any  portion  of  the 
mountain  range,  it  would  be  worth  a  double  fortune  to  the  owner ;  for 
souvenir-seekers  would  give  a  large  amount  of  money  for  a  small  piece 
of  it,  and  the  greatest  impositions  would  be  practiced  by  venders. 
These  trees  vary  in  size,  as  may  be  supposed  ;  the  older  ones — at  least 
two  of  them — measure  forty  feet  in  circumference ;  the  others  are  not 
more  than  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter.     Many  of  them  are  scarred 


FROM    MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  DAMASCUS.  387 

with  the  names  of  travelers  who  have  visited  the  forest.  This  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at,  when  it  is  remembered  such  a  custom  has  existed 
for  many  years,  wherever  it  has  been  allowed. 

Lebanon  has  been  visited  by  thousands  who  seem  to  be  satisfied  if 
their  feet  can  press  the  honored  forest  from  which  the  timber  was  taken 
for  the  Temple.  And  when  we  remember  the  antiquity  of  the  trees, 
their  ancient  glory,  their  world-wide  fame,  and  the  holy  uses  for  which 
the  cedars  were  hewn,  we  can  readily  understand  why  so  many  pil- 
grimages have  been  made  to  it  from  century  to  century.  The  cedars 
of  Lebanon  were  greatly  venerated  by  the  Hebrews  as  emblems  of 
power  and  majesty.  These  groves  on  Mount  Lebanon  were  doubtless 
very  vast  in  olden  times. 


PAET  XIII 
DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS. 

Situation  of  Damascus — River  Barada — Saul  Arrested  while  on  his  Mission  of 
Persecution — Its  Buildings — Some  of  her  Rulers — First  View  of  the  City — 
Present  Inhabitants — Annual  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca — Principal  Places  of 
Amusement — The  Great  Cafe — Its  Walls  and  Houses — Mohammedans  Hatred 
Towards  Christians — The  City  Seized  by  Timour — The  Street  Called 
"Straight"  and  Others — The  Great  Mosque — House  of  Rimmon— Greek 
Inscription  on  the  Wall. 

DAMASCUS. 

DAMASCUS  is  one  of  the  chief  cities  of  Syria;  but  Beyrout  is 
much  larger  and  more  progressive.  The  latter  is  along  the 
coast  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea;  therefore  it  possesses  many  advan- 
tages over  the  old  capital  which  are  common  to  seaboard  cities. 
It  has  been  said  Damascus  is  the  oldest  city  in  the  world,  but  there 
are  objections  to  this  tradition ;  some  incline  to  the  opinion  that 
Hebron  is  the  oldest,  others  think  Shechem  is  entitled  to  the  honor; 
but  it  is  certain  Damascus  is  a  very  old  city,  having  a  history  ex- 
tending back  into  the  dim  regions  of  antiquity,  and  it  was  widely 
known  in  the  time  of  Abraham's  sojourn  in  Canaan.  It  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful,  luxuriant  plain,  about  thirty  miles  in  diameter,  be- 
tween the  eastern  base  of  Anti-Labonus  and  the  desert,  about  fifty 
miles  southeast  of  Beyrout,  its  nearest  seaport,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty  miles  (by  the  way  of  Tiberias)  from  Jerusalem,  but  much 
further  if  the  trip  is  made  by  Tyre  and  Sidon. 

Notwithstanding  Damascus  sits  in  a  valley,  it  is  estimated  to  be 
about  two  thousand  and  three  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  This  valley  is  supposed  to  be 
one  of  the  richest  and  most  fertile  tracts  of  land  in  Syria.  Its  fer- 
tility is  due  to  the  river  Barada,  tlie  Abaua  of  the  Scriptures,  which 
became  so  widely  known  because  Naaman  referred  to  it  when  recom- 
mended to  dip  seven  times  in  the  Jordan.  This  life-giving  stream, 
though  very  small,  waters  the  plain.  We  are  told  by  Josephus 
that  Damascus  was  founded  by  Uz,  grandson  of  Shem ;  therefore 
it  takes  its  station  among  the  oldest  cities  known  in  history,  although 
388 


DAMASCUS  AND  EXVIRONMENTS.  389 

it  was  not  generally  popular  until  the  time  of  King  David,  who 
subdued  it  when  the  Syrians  of  Damascus  came  up  to  assist  Hada- 
dezer  to  tight  against  Israel.  David's  army  slew  twenty  thousand 
of  them  and  took  charge  of  their  city.  But  the  Syrians  waited 
their  opportunity,  and  recaptured  it  in  the  time  of  Solomon  under 
the  dynasty  of  the  Hadads.  Damascus  became  the  capital  of  Syria, 
when  it  began  to  rise  into  power,  and  exerted  itself  in  every  possi- 
ble way  to  become  the  equal,  even  the  superior,  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  Syria  became  involved  in  several  wars  from  the  time  it 
began  to  struggle  for  superiority  until  late  in  the  ninth  century 
before  Christ,  when  it  was  captured  by  the  Assyrians.  One  of  the 
most  interesting  events  connected  with  the  high  officials  of  Damas- 
cus was  the  miraculous  cleansing  of  Naamau  (Gen.  xiv.  15;  xv. 
21 ;  2  Sara.  viii.  5,  6  ;  2  Kings  v.  1—27),  the  commander-in-chief, 
of  the  leprosy.  Syria,  like  the  surrounding  kingdoms,  passed 
through  many  bitter  ordeals;  for  she  had  foes  within  as  well  as 
without.  There  was  always  some  one  who  did  not  belong  to  the 
royal  house  looking  up  to  the  throne  with  an  anxious  hope  of  be- 
coming the  ruler,  and  would  even  take  the  life  of  their  king,  to 
satisfy  their  wicked  ambition,  as  did  Hazael,  after  he  was  anointed, 
to  change  the  dynasty  of  Benhadad.  Damascus  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Tiglath-Pileser,  king  of  Assyria,  about  the  middle  of  the  eighth 
century,  B.C.,  and  lost  her  independence  from  that  moment;  yet  it 
seems  her  commercial  prosperity  was  not  materially  impeded  for  a 
long  time.  There  are  many  references  to  Damascus,  especially 
with  regard  to  the  many  conflicts  it  had  with  Israel  and  the  Assy- 
rians, which  caused  much  bloodshed,  suffering  and  great  loss  of  life. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  fourth  century  before  Christ,  Alexander 
the  Great  captured  Syria,  and  sometime  afterwards  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Ptolemies;  then  of  Aretas,  King  of  Arabia,  and  was 
finally  captured  by  the  Romans,  and  subjected  to  the  emperor  of 
Rome  in  the  time  of  our  Lord.  The  Romans  strongly  fortified 
Damascus,  so  that  it  became  one  of  their  main  strongholds.  It  finally 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  under  whose  sway  it  remains  to 
the  present,  and  is  made  the  headquarters  for  their  military  barracks 
in  the  middle  district.  Damascus,  like  all  the  principal  cities  of 
Palestine  and  Syria,  has  had  its  severe  ordeals,  although  it  escaped 
the  total  demolition,  which  many  of  the  others  suffered ;  for  while 
they  have  been  so  terribly  wrecked  that  not  one  stone  was  left  upon 
another,  this  old  capital  has  partially  maintained  its  original  status; 
'but  she  has  changed  many  times  from  one  nation  to  another.     She 


890  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

passed  from  the  ruling  authority  of  the  Hadads,  and  was  subor- 
dinated to  the  kingdom  of  Israel  during  the  reign  of  David.  The 
Assyrians,  under  Tiglath-Pileser,  captured  it ;  after  a  time  it  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Alexander  the  Great.  The  Ptolemies  in  turn  were 
over  her,  and  several  other  foreign  monarchs  swayed  the  scepter  of 
power  over  this  antique  Syrian  capital.  When  Philip,  the  tetrarch 
of  Ituraea  and  Traclionitis,  died,  those  states  were  annexed  to  the 
E-omau  province  of  Syria  (Isa.  xvii. ;  Jer.  ix.  23-27;  xi.;  Ezek. 
xxvii.  18;  2  Kings  v.;  vi.;  viii.  7-15-28,  29;  x.  32-38  ;  xii.  17, 
18 ;  xvi.  3-7-17,  18-22-25;  xiv.  5-12  ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  23 ;  xxviii. ; 
Song  of  Sol.  vii.  4 ;  viii ;  xi ;  Amos  i.  3-5),  which  was  on  the 
border  of  the  government  of  Aretus,  the  Arabian,  who  gave  his 
daughter  in  marriage  to  Herod,  the  tetrarch  whose  lewd  passion 
caused  him  to  put  away  his  wife  and  take  Herodias,  the  wife  of  his 
brother  Philip,  for  which  he  was  strongly  rebuked  by  John  the 
Baptist.  The  daring  act  of  licentious  indulgence  aroused  the  indig- 
nation of  Aretus,  father  of  Herod's  lawful  wife,  and  he  marched 
an  army  against  him  and  captured  Damascus  just  about  the  time 
of  the  death  of  Tibet'ius  Caesar  at  Rome,  which  was  in  the  year 
thirty-seven  of  our  era. 

When  Saul  of  Tarsus  went  to  Damascus  on  his  mission  of 
persecution,  it  formed  a  part  of  the  Arabian  kingdom  which  was 
held  by  Aretus  under  the  Romans.  The  place  where  Saul,  "when 
he  drew  nigh  unto  Damascus,"  saw  a  brilliant  light  which  caused 
him  to  fall  to  the  ground,  is  still  pointed  out  to  travelers  as  identi- 
cal with  that  memorable  event. 

Early  in  the  seventh  century  Damascus  was  taken  and  ruled  by 
the  Moslems,  and  twenty-seven  years  afterwards  it  was  made 
the  capital  of  the  Mohammedan  empire  by  Moamyah,  the  first 
Caliph  of  the  Omeiyades.  This  powerful  dynasty  swayed  a  wide- 
spread influence,  and  several  other  nations  fell  under  Moslem 
dominion.  Europe,  Africa  and  Asia  were  under  its  iron  hand,  so 
that  Damascus  could  boast  of  being  the  great  centre  of  one  of  the 
most  extensive  empires  known  in  the  world. 

The  city,  while  under  the  control  of  the  Omeiyades,  was  much 
improved  with  many  spacious  buildings,  both  for  residence  and 
worshiping  places ;  he  having  used  some  of  the  most  costly  and 
carefully  prepared  materials  the  city  contained  ;  such  as  the  Roman 
Colonnades  and  porticoes;  and  other  costly  structures  were  partly, 
if  not  entirely,  demolished  to  erect  them.  But  this  Moslem  sway 
was  only  for  a  comparatively  short  duration. 


DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS.  391 

The  people,  content  with  the  victories  they  had  won,  and  sup- 
posing their  stay  permanent,  made  themselves  contented  without 
fortifying  against  outward  foes,  and  went  from  one  degree  of  moral 
and  physical  degeneracy  to  another,  until  they  became  steeped  in 
licentiousness,  and  the  glory  they  had  faded  like  a  rose;  and  Da- 
mascus, the  city  of  their  pride,  was  taken  from  them.  Damascus 
passed  from  one  conqueror  to  another  during  a  stormy  period  of  four 
hundred  years.  The  Tulumides  and  Fatimites  of  Egypt  possessed 
it,  and  from  them  it  was  taken  by  the  Seljuks,  who  were  a  roving 
Turkish  people.  In  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six,  when  the  Crusaders  were  making  successful 
attacks  in  Palestine  and  Syria  under  Baldwin,  Conrad  and  Louis 
VIL,  they  attempted  to  enter  Damascus,  but  were  not  successful, 
and  the  Crescent  banner  of  Syria  still  proved  to  be  the  honored 
emblem  of  the  great  capital,  which  gave  great  joy  to  its  admirers. 

In  the  second  half-quarter  of  the  twelfth  century  Damascus 
was  captured  by  the  Mongols,  but  was  only  a  short  time  under  their 
control  when  it  was  captured  by  the  Bibars ;  about  the  beginning 
of  the  fifteeth  century,  she  was  again  siezed  by  Tamerlane,  who 
dealt  with  the  people  in  a  most  barbarous  manner.  He  did  more 
to  injure  the  inhabitants  than  all  the  previous  conquerors  together. 
The  whole  place  was  exposed  to  the  most  outrageous  assaults  known 
in  the  most  barbarous  countries  of  our  world.  The  Turks  captured 
Damascus  about  a  century  later,  and  were  one  of  the  last  masters  of 
the  situation,  whose  rule  was  of  no  benefit  to  the  Syrians;  on  the 
other  hand,  they  seem  to  be  draining  the  whole  country  dry  by 
extorting  from  the  people  heavy  taxes,  and  other  heavy  burdens 
that  will  not  allow  many  of  them  to  get  beyond  the  limits  of  strin- 
gency. It  is  thought  one  of  the  chief  reasons  for  pauperism  and 
theft  originated  from  the  refusal  of  thousands  to  work  on  account 
of  the  heavy  heel  of  taxation,  which  continually  grinds  them  down. 

Many  cutting  criticisms  have  been  published  against  the  Turkish 
rule  in  Palestine  and  Syria,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  amount  to  any- 
thing so  far  as  changing  the  condition  of  the  people  is  concerned. 
Without  doubt  Damascus  was  a  renowned  city  in  the  earlier  his- 
toric times ;  it  was  known  in  the  days  of  the  pioneer  Patriarchs, 
and  continued  through  the  multitude  of  ages  to  modern  times. 
During  its  existence  other  powerful  cities  have  risen  in  many  parts 
of  the  eastern  world  that  vied  with  her  in  strength  and  beauty  for 
a  time,  then  decayed  and  came  to  naught.  But  Damascus,  not- 
withstanding she  has  passed  through  the  furnace  of  many  bitter 


392  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

ordeals,  lias  maintained  an  unbroken  space  in  history  from  the  time 
it  was  founded  to  the  present.  She  has  been  robbed  of  much  of 
her  glory  and  early  greatness;  but  her  claims  to  antiquity  must  be 
respected  by  all  the  world.  It  was  founded  before  Baalbec  and 
Palmyra,  and  has  outlived  each  of  them.  These  two  great  cities, 
in  connection  with  Babylon,  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  many  others  of 
proud  boast  in  the  East,  have  come  up  and  pa.ssed  out  of  existence 
in  the  swift  train  of  time  and  left  this  old  Syrian  capital,  the  lone 
star,  to  point  the  traveler  to  their  ancient  greatness.  It  was  in  a 
most  flourishing  condition  in  the  time  of  the  Jewish  kings;  this  is 
evident  from  the  caution  David  took  to  place  a  strong  garrison 
there,  after  his  army  had  captured  it,  and  from  the  stand  it  took 
against  King  Solomon,  who  vainly  attempted  to  hold  it  under  his 
sway.  This  proud  city  must  have  been  from  very  early  times 
attractive  to  men  as  a  place  of  habitation,  as  the  adored  Nile,  the 
life  of  Egypt,  has  from  time  immemorial  been  the  centre  of  attrac- 
tion to  the  population  of  that  country  in  all  generations  to  its  living 
waters. 

Damascus  abounds  with  water-courses  for  miles  around  ;  in  all 
directions  may  be  seen  an  unbroken  forest  of  beautiful  gardens 
containing;  man v  acres  of  o-round,  and  everywhere  can  be  heard  the 
murmur  of  rivulets,  breaking  the  silence  of  the  night.  Abana 
and  Pharpar,  those  ancient  rivers  which  were  the  proud  boast  of 
Naaman,  constantly  pour  their  contents  into  these  little  canals,  so 
that  froai  those  parent  streams  the  whole  expanse  of  country  in 
which  the  city  and  gardens  are  located  is  fed  and  kept  alive.  Such 
are  their  beauty  and  enchantment,  that  when  the  first  viev/  of  the 
city  is  obtained  from  a  distance,  it  appears  like  an  earthly  para- 
dise ;  and  the  astonished  beholder  is  ready  to  cry  out,  Great  is  Da- 
mascus! Although  she  has  lost  much  of  her  splendor,  riches  and 
antique  embellishments,  she  is  now  the  most  important  city  in  Syria. 
It  contains  a  busy  population,  many  of  whom  are  thrifty,  prosper- 
ous and  healthy. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  city  are  estimated  to  be  one  hundred  and 
eighty  thousand,  of  whom  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  thousand  are 
Mohammedans  and  twenty  thousand  are  Christians  of  various 
denominations,  and  eight  thousand  are  Jews.  These  Jews  and 
Christians  are  much  hated  by  the  dominant  class,  and  are  often  cruel- 
ly treated.  Were  it  not  for  the  military  troops,  who  are  con- 
stantly .stationed  there,  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  live 
among   them.     As    it    is,    there   have  been  alarming   outbreaks, 


DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS.  393 

caused  by  the  ever-flaming  fury  of  indignant  Moslems,  who  swept 
the  Christians  away  by  the  thousands.  There  is  a  deep  and  per- 
maneutlv-seated  ill-feeling;  existino^  between  Mohammedans  and 
Christians,  which  will  require  many  years  to  obliterate.  There 
was  one  of  the  most  shocking  and  bloody  massacres  occurred  in  this 
ancient  city  in  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty,  known  in  history,  the 
effects  of  which  are  keenly  felt  to  this  day  in  Damascus ;  notwith- 
standing, many  of  the  churches  and  dwellings,  which  were 
destroyed,  have  been  rebuilt.  The  story  of  the  terrible  and  heart- 
less tragedy  is  pathetic  in  the  extreme,  and  would  seem  to  be  more 
like  a  carefully-written  myth,  conceived  in  the  mind  of  an  expert 
novelist,  rather  than  a  true  historical  account  of  a  recent  event. 

There  was  one  imposition  after  another  heaped  upon  the  Chris- 
tian population,  until  a  great  fire  of  indignation  suddenly  burst 
upon  them  with  fearful  violence  and  destruction.  It  is  said,  by 
those  living  near  the  dreadful  scene,  that  by  sunset,  on  the  ninth  of 
July,  1860,  the  whole  space,  known  as  that  portion  of  the  Christians' 
quarters,  was  a  broad  sheet  of  flame.  The  water  supplies  were 
cut  oW,  so  that  it  became  impossible  for  them  to  extinguish  the  fire 
in  any  of  the  burning  buildings,  nor  could  they  leave  their  fast- 
consuming  quarters  themseh'es,  being  hemmed  in  and  closely 
quartered  by  infuriated  Moslems,  who  stood  ready  with  instru- 
ments of  death  to  murder  any  one  who  attempted  to  escape.  Caution 
was  taken  not  to  begin  the  bloody  work  until  the  Christians,  who 
were  in  other  parts  of  the  city  attending  to  their  avocations,  had 
returned  to  their  homes,  so  that  all  of  them,  if  possible,  might  be 
burned  to  death  or  slain  at  the  same  time. 

It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  the  whole  plan  did  not  succeed  ;  for 
many,  having  received  help  from  a  source  the  blood-thirsty 
Moslems  did  not  anticipate,  were  rescued  from  their  murderous 
scheme  ;  and  yet  it  is  estimated  that  five  thousand  Christians  were 
killed  in  cold  blood,  and  many  thousands  more,  who  escaped,  per- 
ished, shortly  afterwards,  from  fright,  famine  and  other  agencies. 
Recruits  were  pouring  into  the  city  to  join  the  rioters  from  the 
neighborhood  to  put  a  final  end  to  all  the  Christians.  During  the 
entire  night  and  following  day  the  shameful  massacre  went  on. 
Hundreds  fled  to  the  caves  and  dens  in  Mt.  Lebanon  for  security, 
homeless,  penniless,  naked  and  wounded.  Thousands  of  those  who 
could  not  escape  were  treated  in  a  most  shameful  manner.  Many, 
to  save  their  lives,  were  compelled  to  deny  the  Christian  faith  and 
espouse  that  of  the  Mohammedans.     The  scene  was  one  which  has 


394  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

but  few  parallels  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Damascus  is  the 
capital  of  the  eastern  district  of  Syria,  under  command  of  a 
governor-general,  and  is  the  headquarters  of  the  array  of  Syria. 
The  commander-in-chief  is  called  Seraskier,  and  the  space  occupied 
for  himself  and  the  command  is  very  large.  The  soldiers  are  com- 
pelled to  patrol  the  whole  country. 

There  are  no  police  officials  or  constables  to  guard  the  interest 
of  the  people  in  any  part  of  the  Turkish  dominion  ;  therefore,  the 
soldiers  are  sent  out  in  all  directions  to  look  after  the  general  wel- 
fare of  the  country.  Sometimes  they  are  sent  out  in  small  com- 
panies, especially  in  the  most  dangerous  portions  of  the  Lebanon 
and  anti-Lebanon  districts.  They  have  the  fastest  horses  in  Syria, 
and  a  person  would  have  a  hard  time  to  escape  them.  As  there 
are  no  color-lines  drawn  in  the  Turkish  government,  nor  any  other 
outside  of  America,  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  no  distinction  is  made 
in  forming  companies.  There  can  be  found  among  the  soldiers 
complexions  from  a  coal-black  to  the  ordinary  white,  forming  the 
same  company  without  a  murmur  ;  all  are  fellowshipped  upon  the. 
most  friendly  relations.  They  go  on  patrol  duty  together,  eat  at 
the  same  table  and  sleep  in  the  same  bed.  Damascus  is  the  great 
centre  from  which  the  annual  pilgrimage  starts  for  Mecca,  so  as  to 
be  convenient  to  the  commander  of  the  army,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
go  with  the  pilgrims  or  send  an  official  in  his  stead.  These  pil- 
grimages are  composed  of  Moslems,  who,  in  compliance  with  their 
law,  make  a  journey  to  the  citadel  of  their  religion  at  least  once 
in  life. 

These  people  make  the  greatest  sacrifice  to  accomplish  it. 
Many  are  very  poor,  but  they  do  without  the  comforts  of  life  to 
lay  up  a  fund  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  go  to  Mecca  and  pay 
their  devotions  at  the  great  shrine.  Those  who  can,  take  all  their 
family,  so  that  if  the  children  find  it  impossible  to  go  when  they 
become  of  age,  the  law  will  not  hold  them  responsible.  Pilgrim- 
ages are  made  from  China,  Japan,  Ceylon,  India,  Syria,  Palestine, 
Egypt,  and  all  parts  of  the  world  where  Mohammedans  are  in 
large  numbers,  and  when  they  all  reach  Mecca  they  sometimes 
number  three  or  four  hundred  thousand.  The  principal  places  of 
amusement  or  public  comfort  are  the  baths  and  the  "  Great  Cafe," 
which  are  almost  continually  thronged  with  the  pleasure-seeking 
classes  of  all  grades  of  society.  The  cafe  is  generally  visited  at 
night  or  after  working  hours,  as  many  of  the  public  parks  of  our 
American  cities  are  by  those  whose  employment  occupies  their  time 


DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS.  395 

during  the  day.  It  is  simple  in  its  construction  and  general 
arrangement,  consisting  of  several  shed-like  buildings,  situated  in 
the  midst  of  a  number  of  rapidly  running  streams,  which  are 
roaring  constantly  and  producing  a  deafening  noise,  which  is 
greatly  augmented  by  the  inharmonious  sound  of  hundreds  of 
voices  that  make  a  stranger  feel  as  though  he  is  in  the  ante- 
chamber of  Pandemonium.  The  place  is  illuminated  dimly  W'heu 
compared  to  our  modern  illuminations.  There  is  no  gas  or  electric 
lights  in  Damascus.  Small  oil  lamps  are  used,  which,  from  their 
sparseness,  make  a  very  poor  light ;  these  lamps  are  suspended  on 
ropes  from  one  limb  of  a  tree  to  another,  at  a  considerable  distance 
apart,  and  many  are  hid  from  view  on  account  of  the  hanging 
branches  of  the  trees. 

The  greatest  attraction  to  a  stranger  is  the  beautiful  coloring  it 
gives  the  white  foam  of  the  waters  as  they  dash  against  the  rock. 
The  whole  space,  which  is  very  large,  is  filled  with  people,  even 
the  banks  of  the  little  streams  are  crowded.  The  cafe  is  a  com- 
mon resort  for  men  and  children.  The  streams  passing  through  it 
are  made  by  digging  deep  trenches,  into  which  the  waters  from 
Abana,  which  is  now,  as  in  the  days  of  Naaman,  the  great  river  of 
Damascus.  It  has  been  the  life  of  the  city  from  its  beginning. 
To  these  waters  she  is  indebted  for  her  beauty  and  fertility,  and  in 
this  water  Naaman,  the  leper,  thought  he  might  wash  and  be 
healed. 

The  city  is  walled  in,  but  the  wall  is  not  very  strong;  while 
there  is  much  material  that  was  in  the  former  walls  composing 
those  of  to-day,  tlie  most  of  the  composition  is  sun-dried  mud, 
which  makes  them  appear  ragged  and  dilapidated.  In  several 
parts  of  the  wall,  small  houses  are  built,  which  is  a  custom  brought 
down  from  the  earliest  times.  They  are  quaint  in  appearance,  and 
so  situated  as  to  compose  a  portion  of  the  wall.  It  can  be  readily 
understood  how  the  house  of  Rahab,  Elisha,  and  that  from  which 
St.  Paul  was  let  down  over  the  wall  in  a  basket  was  constructed, 
by  closely  examining  these  houses  built  now  on  the  wall  of  Damas- 
cus. The  site  of  that  eventful  escape  of  the  apostle  is  still  pointed 
out,  as  is  also  the  site  where  he  fell  to  the  ground,  having  seen  a 
liglit  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
city,  w:here  the  walls  contain  the  models  of  masonry  of  almost 
every  age,  the  foundations  are  of  Roman  origin  mostly.  In  some 
parts  the  character  of  the  work  shows  they  are  of  great  age,  no 
doubt  from  the  early  days  of  the  ancient  city.     Farther  southward 


396  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

to  the  boundary  is  still  standing  the  foundation  of  the  ancient 
wall ;  the  pi'esent  is  not  connected  with  it,  a  deep  ditch  being 
between  the  two. 

The  jNIohammedans  of  Damascus  are  intensely  opposed  to 
Christians,  and  were  it  not  that  they  fear  the  authorities  it  would 
be  impossible  for  any  to  live  there,  or  even  visit.  In  all  my 
travels  it  is  the  only  place  where  I  noticed  any  attempt  of  an  out- 
rage upon  me.  I  noticed  on  two  or  three  occasions,  while  riding 
down  the  streets  in  a  carriage,  stones  were  thrown  by  some  one  at 
me;  and  on  the  day  we  visited  the  public  garden,  it  seemed  to  me, 
for  a  while,  they  would  take  us  by  force,  but  we  fortunately  got  off 
without  injury.  One  fellow  threw  something  at  us  ;  I  do  not  think 
it  would  have  done  much  damage  if  it  had  struck  me.  The  native 
Christians  must  at  all  times  be  alert  lest  they  are  outraged  by  these 
midnight  disciples  of  Mohammed,  who  hate  them  as  poison.  They 
have  no  more  relations  with  them  than  the  Jews  and  Samar- 
itans had  in  the  days  of  our  Lord.  It  will  be  no  surprise  if  at 
any  time  they  sh  »uld  rise  up  against  them.  Damascus  has  been 
famously  known  for  its  wonderful  steel  sword-blades,  which  in 
olden  times  were  so  very  elastic  they  could  be  bent  until  the  point 
reached  the  hilt,  and  sharpened  as  keenly  as  a  fine  razor.  But 
after  Tamerlane  or  "  Timour"  (the  Asiatic,  as  he  is  called  by  some 
writers)  seized  the  city  and  committed  many  vile  depredations  and 
carried  off  its  wealth,  its  stores  of  antiquity  were  pillaged  and 
robbed,  all  the  costly  fabrics  were  taken,  its  beautiful  palaces  were 
ransacked  and  burned  to  the  ground  ;  its  great  libraries,  filled  with 
valuable  literature,  were  destroyed,  and  its  noted  armors  and  keen- 
edged  steel  swords  were  carried  away  to  Samarcand  and  Khorassan, 
which  places  from  that  time  supplanted  Damascus  in  the  art  of 
making  the  famous  steel  swords. 

It  seems  the  people  could  not  regain  their  original  expertness 
in  finishing  those  noted  blades,  although  they  do  what  they  can  to 
imitate  them,  and  many  of  all  sizes  are  seen  lying  in  piles  in  the 
bazaars,  selling  at  low  prices.  There  are  many  bazaars  in  Damas- 
cus which  form  an  almost  perfect  labyrinth  of  narrow  lanes  and 
alleys,  connected  by  dark  passages,  some  of  which  are  so  very  nar- 
row two  persons  cannot  walk  abreast,  and  often  on  meeting  each 
other  in  certain  parts  of  them,  pass  with  difficulty. 

Many  of  the  streets  where  they  are  located  are  completely  arched 
over,  so  that  it  is  necessary  for  lamps  to  be  lighted  in  the  stores  all 
day.     This  is  also  true  of  the  street  called  "  Straight/'  which  is  to 


DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS.  397 

the  present  day  a  great  feature  and  thoroughfare  in  the  city ;  not  only 
for  its  busy  markets  and  stores,  but  for  its  important  connection 
with  Ananias,  who  lived  on  this  street  when  Saul  and  his  associates 
came  down  from  Jerusalem  with  a  commission  to  disturb  tlie 
believers  in  Christ.  The  street  is  not  entirely  straight  all  the  way 
from  east  to  west,  but  it  seems  to  be  in  a  direct  line  for  a  consider- 
able distance.  It  is  mostly  a  business  street,  and  crowds  are  in  it 
all  the  day.  The  greater  portion  of  the  streets  in  the  city  are 
narrow  and  dark,  and  ancient  in  appearance.  There  are  but  few 
that  will  admit  a  vehicle  to  pass  through  them.  Many  times  it  is 
necessary  to  alight  from  the  carriage  and  Avalk  through  certain 
streets  and  meet  at  another  point  ;  for  many  of  the  narrowest  are 
the  most  important  for  sight-seers.  They  do  not  excel  in  cleanli- 
ness, especially  in  the  Jewish  and  Christian  quarters ;  and  no  one 
accustomed  to  streets  having  proper  sanitary  provisions  will  regret 
having  to  leave  these  hovels  so  entirely  wanting  of  purifying  water. 
The  Mohammedans'  quarters  are  much  more  inviting :  caution  is 
taken  to  keep  them  clean  and  pleasant.  Those  whose  condition 
will  allow  it,  have  richly  furnished  houses  paved  with  marble,  and 
beautifully  adorned  with  fountains,  flowers,  fruit-trees,  and  other 
things  that  embellish  and  make  home  inviting  and  cheerful. 

The  city  is  two  miles  or  more  in  length  from  its  extremity  on 
the  northeast  to  that  of  the  southwest,  with  a  comparative  breadth 
in  some  portions,  and  densely  filled  with  a  varied  population  of  all 
classes,  conditions,  races  and  complexions.  These  peof)le  can  be 
best  seen  on  Friday,  which  is  the  great  market  day.  The  Jew, 
with  long,  curly  locks  and  turbaned  head,  can  be  seen  with  his  sack 
and  stool  in  some  locality  of  the  market,  carrying  on  the  money- 
exchange  business.  The  A.rab  looks  as  if  he  were  ready  to  pounce 
upon  any  one  who  ventured  to  stand  before  him  ;  the  waddling 
Turk,  who  seems  too  lazy  to  walk  ;  the  African,  who  looks  amazed 
at  one  of  his  own  color  dressed  in  European  clothes ;  the  philoso- 
phical-looking Afghan  and  the  dusky-looking  Algierian,  all  pass 
together.  One  of  the  greatest  attractions  in  Damascus  is  the  great 
Mosque;  not  because  of  its  superior  character  in  architecture  or 
magnificence,  for  it  is  very  inferior  to  the  great  Mosque  of  Omar 
in  Jerusalem,  or  that  of  St.  Sophia  of  Constantinople,  though  it  is 
called  the  great  Mosque.  Any  one  who  first  visits  either  of  the 
two  last  named,  would  not  be  much  impressed  with  that  at  Damas- 
cus, except  on  account  of  its  historical  association,  which  runs  back 
into  antiquity. 


398  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

The  price  of  admitting  a  party  into  this  mosque  is  exorbitant, 
and  would  be  checked  by  law  were  it  located  in  a  country  where 
people  pay  some  attention  to  the  admonishment  of  conscience. 
Twenty  francs  is  the  amount  charged  for  a  party.  The  usual  pre- 
parations must  be  made  on  the  outside.  If  the  visitor  has  no 
slippers  of  his  own,  he  may  rent  them  from  the  bookseller,  who  has 
a  stand  close  to  the  entrance  door  kept  for  that  purpose,  as  no  one 
is  allowed  to  enter  without  them.  In  connection  with  the  things 
shown  inside  are  the  Fountain  of  Ablution,  and  the  tomb  in  which 
the  traditional  story  locates  the  burial-place  of  the  head  of  John  the 
Baptist.  This  structure  is  four  hundred  and  thirty  feet  long,  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  wide.  Its  greatest  attraction 
is,  its  being  situated  on  the  site  once  occupied  by  a  heathen  temple, 
which,  it  is  stated,  covered  six  hundred  square  yards ;  and  a 
number  of  its  broken  columns  are  here  and  there  seen  among  the 
bazaars  near  by.  In  the  time  of  the  splendor  of  this  building, 
when  the  people  devoutly  kneeled  at  its  shrine,  it  was  somewhat 
on  the  order  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  It  contained  rows  of 
columns  forming  a  colonnade,  with  everything  else  needed  to  make 
it  alluring  to  the  thousands  of  her  devotees  who  knelt  at  the  shrine. 
This  is  supposed  to  be  the  identical  site  of  "  the  house  of  Rimmon," 
to  which  Xaaman  referred,  and  in  this  temple  was  erected  that 
altar,  the  beauty  of  which,  so  won  the  admiration  of  Ahaz  he 
ordered  one  like  it  made  for  the  use  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 

It  is  stated  that  the  temple  in  which  heathens  used  to  worship 
was  standing  during  the  first  century  of  our  era,  and  "  was  de- 
stroyed by  Theodosius  in  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  ;  and 
that  a  Christian  church  was  built  on  the  site  out  of  a  part  of  its 
ruins  by  Arcadius,  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century,  which 
was  dedicated  to  John  the  Baptist,  whose  head  was  said  to  have 
been  buried  there."  This  church  continued  under  the  control  of 
the  Christians  for  three  hundred  years,  after  which  it  was  divided 
between  the  Christians  and  Moslems,  each  of  them  having  separate 
apartments ;  but  later  the  Christians  were  routed  by  the  Moham- 
medans, who  took  absolute  control  of  the  whole  structure. 

There  has  been  allowed  to  remain  on  the  outside  of  the  south 
wall  a  most  significant  inscription  in  Greek,  which  some  think  the 
Moslems  have  overlooked,  or  their  blindness  hides  it  from  their  view, 
which  contains  the  following :  "  Thy  kingdom,  O  Christ,  is  an 
everlasting  kingdom ;  and  Thy  dominion  endureth  throughout  all 
generations."     The  wonder  prevailing  among  Christians  is,  how  it 


DAMASCUS  AND  ENVIRONMENTS.  399 

has  escaped  the  notice  of  the  Mohammedans,  who  for  over  twelve 
hundred  years  have  been  the  sole  custodians  of  the  Mosque.  The 
inscription  is  in  an  obscure  place,  and  was  discovered  by  persons 
who  were  closely  examining  the  building  historically.  The  Mosque 
has  three  minarets,  one  of  which  visitors  generally  ascend  to  get  a 
good  view  of  the  city,  which  enables  them  to  have  an  almost  per- 
fect idea  of  it  and  its  environments.  The  street  called  Straight, 
the  various  orchards,  streets  and  lanes,  the  bazaars,  the  crooked 
shape  of  the  city,  together  with  the  surrounding  hills,  are  all  open 
like  a  map  to  the  eye.  These  are  some  of  the  wonders  of  Damascus. 
(2  Kings  V.  18  ;  xvi.  10-16.) 


PAET  XLY. 

THE  SEA   OF  TIBERIAS  AND  THE  NOTED  PLACES 
ROUND  ABOUT. 

Route  from  Nazareth  to  Tiberias — View  of  Mt.  Tabor — Ascent  of  Mt.  Tabor — 
Journey  from  Tabor  to  Tiberias — Caravan  Eoad  from  Jerusalem  to  Damas- 
cus— Character  of  the  Natives — The  "  Mount  of  Beatitudes  "  or  "  Horns  of 
Hattin  " — Time  Spent  in  Galilee — The  Environments  of  the  Sea  of  Tiberias 
— Visit  to  Decapolis —Visit  to  Magdala — Visit  to  Csesarea  Philippi — Mt. 
Hermon— Sea  of  Tiberias  and  its  Situation — Fish  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee — 
Custom  of  the  Fishermen — Town  of  Tiberias — Plain  of  Gennesaret — Springs 
of  Lake  Gennesaret — Old  Testament  Association — Ancient  Magdala — The 
Latin  Convent — Kuins  of  Chorazin — The  Two  Bethsaidas. 

FROM  NAZARETH  TO  TIBERIAS.— APPROACHING  MT.  TABOE. 

THERE  are  two  routes  from  Nazareth  to  Tiberias ;  one  leading 
through  Cana,  the  other  by  the  way  of  Mt.  Tabor,  both  of 
which  are  full  of  interest.  It  is  customary  for  persons  going  no 
farther  north  than  the  lake,  to  go  down  via.  the .  latter  route  and 
return  by  the  former.  Indeed,  it  would  be  of  benefit  to  those 
going  to  Damascus  to  arrange  with  the  authorities  to  return  by  the 
Mount  Hermon  route,  so  as  to  get  a  nearer  view  of  it  than  that 
obtained  from  Capernaum,  and  also  have  the  privilege  of  returning 
to  Nazareth,  by  the  Mount  Tabor  road.  In  this  way  a  traveler 
has  the  benefit  of  both  routes  ;  that  is,  he  may  go  down  through 
"  Cana  of  Galilee,"  and  return  by  way  of  Tabor.  When  the 
Israelites  received  their  allotments,  the  frontier  boundaries  of  Zebu- 
lun  and  Naphtali  were  marked  by  Tabor.  It  is  a  most  command- 
ing mountain,  which  at  first  sight  strikes  the  attention  of  the 
beholder  as  a  place  of  historic  importance.  Tabor  is  very  lofty 
and  sloping  at  the  top.  This  princely  mount  stands  alone  in  the 
plain,  looking  as  if  it  were  frowning  down  upon  the  few  minor 
elevations  that  connect  it  with  the  mountains  of  Galilee.  This 
monarch  of  the  plain  is  estimated  to  be  over  two  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  surrounding  hills.  It  is  attractive  from  any  point  of 
400 


O 

pq 
< 

h 


NOTED  PLACES  AEOUND  SEA  OF  TIBEKIAS.  401 

view,  whether  from  a  long  distance  or  near  by,  and  presents  a  differ- 
ent scene  from  each  quarter.  One  standing  on  the  south  will 
notice  it  has  a  steep,  rough  and  rugged  slope,  from  base  to  summit 
with  mammoth  rocks,  seeming  as  though  they  were  ready  to  fall, 
clinging  to  it.  On  the  north  its  general  features  are  changed  so 
greatly,  that  it  does  not  seem  like  the  same  mountain.  The  whole 
slope  from  bottom  to  top  is  covered  with  green  foliage  and  small 
trees. 

It  is  usual  for  tourists,  who  are  not  pressed  for  time,  to  make  a 
trip  to  the  summit.  A  comparatively  good  road  winds  the  slope, 
and  therebv  renders  the  ascent  much  less  fatig-uino-  than  might  be 
supposed.  There  are  two  convents  on  the  peak,  belonging  to  the 
Greek  and  Latin  churches  respectively;  at  which  fairly  good  ac- 
commodations may  be  obtained  for  the  night.  There  is  a  tradition 
of  several  centuries'  standing  that  upon  i\It.  Tabor,  the  scene  where 
the  transfiguration  of  our  Lord  took  place,  and  those  who  have 
had  an  opportunity  of  investigating  its  general  situation,  have  con- 
cluded it  is  beautifully  adapted  for  the  occurrence  of  such  a  trans- 
portingly  grand  event.  Its  beautiful  and  inviting  landscape  round 
about,  its  shady  depressions  in  connection  with  its  general  adapta- 
bility for  such  a  memorable  conference  as  was  held  at  the  time  in 
question  so  prominently  combine,  that  the  top  of  Mount  Tabor  is 
believed  by  many  to  be  the  hallowed  place  that  our  Lord  ascended 
with  Peter,  James  and  John,  when  Moses  and  Elijah  came  down 
to  commune  with  Him.  But  as  no  one  knows  it  to  be  the  real  site 
of  the  event,  the  visitor  cannot  go  one  step  beyond  probability,  for 
opinion  is  divided  between  Tabor  and  Hermon  ;  and,  notwith- 
standing critical  examinations  have  been  made,  no  definite  conclu- 
sion has  been  reached  by  candid  and  unbiased  minds  that  are 
capable  of  settling  the  difficulty.  The  Greeks  and  Latins,  who  seem 
to  be  ever  ready  to  draw  definite  conclusions  from  mere  traditions, 
many  of  which  are  founded  upon  unjustifiable  premises,  claim 
Tabor  as  the  real  site  of  the  stupendous  transfiguration.  It  is  also 
true  that  many  of  the  best  examiners  believe,  from  the  circum- 
stances connected  with  the  event,  that  Hermon  is  the  most  proba- 
ble mount  of  its  occurrence.  This  opinion  is  established  upon  the 
fact  that  two  of  the  three  evangelists,  in  referring  to  the  matter, 
speak  of  Caesarea  Philippi  immediately  before  the  event  took  place. 
It  is  supposed  by  some  that  their  statements  warrant  the  belief  that 
the  event  took  place  on  Mount  Hermon.  But  those  who  incline  to 
Mount  Tabor  as  the  scene  of  this  stupendous  event,  hold  the  argu- 
26 


402  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

ment  in  favor  of  Mount  Hermon,  is  based  upon  the  fact  of  our  Lord 
being  at  Csesarea  Philippi  with  His  disciples  a  few  days  prior  to 
the  transfiguration,  which  is  claimed  to  be  insufficient  to  justify 
their  position.  It  is  evident  a  week  had  elapsed  between  the  time 
He  questioned  the  disciples  as  to  the  opinion  of  men  concerning 
Himself  and  the  conference  with  Moses  and  Elijah  on  the  mount, 
which  would  allow  ample  time  to  travel  from  Caesarea  Philippi  to  the 
summit  of  Tabor.  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  use  the  same  words 
as  to  the  time  Jesus  went  up  into  the  mountain.  They  say,  "  after 
six  days,"  etc.  St.  Luke  says,  "  about  eight  days  after  "  the  Saviour 
was  teaching  the  disciples  at  Csesarea,  He  ascended  the  high 
mountain  with  the  three  in  whose  presence  the  transformation  took 
place.  There  is  no  conflict  between  these  two  statements  with  refer- 
ence to  the  time  of  the  occurrence ;  two  of  the  evangelists  say,  "  after 
six  days,"  which  may  be  the  seventh  or  eighth  day ;  the  other 
says  about  eight  days,  which  may  be  a  little  less  than  eight  full 
days,  and  surely  after  six  had  passed.  It  is  not  stated  by  either  of 
these  disciples  where  Christ  went,  or  what  He  did  between  the  time 
He  ended  His  teachings  relative  to  the  great  sufferings  He  should 
soon  encounter  and  the  glorious  change  of  His  person,  when  visited 
by  the  two  great  lights  of  the  church  who  came  down  to  commune 
with  Him.  It  is  certain,  therefore,  that  neither  Tabor  nor  Hermon 
can  be  definitely  settled  upon  as  the  real  site  of  this  overpowering 
event.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  transpired  on  one  of  the 
two.  The  convents  belonging  to  the  Greeks  and  Latins,  respec- 
tively located  on  Tabor,  are  both  claimed  to  be  on  the  site  of  the 
ti'ansfiguration,  which  is  not  a  strange  occurrence  with  those  two 
religious  bodies ;  their  bitter  opposition  to  each  other  seems  to  for- 
bid the  one  from  havino;  in  charo;e  a  traditional  site  without  the 
other  having  one  close  by  claiming  the  same  thing.  It  is  so  with 
reference  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Annunciation  in  Nazareth,  and 
the  site  of  the  changing  of  water  into  wine  in  Cana ;  and  we  might 
mention  many  other  places  of  similar  occurrences.  It  is  sadly 
unfortunate  that  such  is  the  case,  for  many  times  a  person  is  placed 
in  a  state  of  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  a  place  when  he  is  stand- 
ing on  the  exact  site  where  certain  Bible  events  took  place.  In 
fact,  both  of  these  sects  should  be  branded  with  deception  ;  for  if 
it  could  be  established  that  Tabor  is  the  mount  upon  which  the 
hallowed  transformation  took  place,  no  one  could  tell  the  exact  site. 
There  was  no  altar  or  tabernacle  built  as  suggested  by  Peter,  or  even 
.a  atone  set  up  to  mark  the  site  of  the  event;  and  yet  men  dare,  in 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  403 

this  date  of  our  era,  to  tell  to  the  world  that  they  have  discovered 
the  identical  spot  of  the  transfiguration.  I  do  not  hesitate  in  saying  it 
would  require  Peter,  James  and  John,  the  three  who  witnessed  the 
glorious  occasion,  to  return  to  earth  and  point  out  the  spot  before  it 
could  be  definitely  located. 

Notwithstanding  this  fact,  thousands  of  poor,  ignorant  pilgrims 
are  decoyed  by  this  glaringly  deceptive  delusion,  and  climb  to  the 
top  of  Tabor  expressly  to  worship  on  the  traditional  spot  of  the 
transformation  of  their  Lord.  The  summit  of  Mount  Tabor  is 
broad,  although  it  seems  to  be  very  narrow  from  a  far  view,  and 
contains  many  ruins  of  buildings  which  in  earlier  times  dotted  it. 
It  is  highly  probable  that  a  small  village  was  built  there  in  the 
time  of  the  Hebrews,  or  later.  The  ruins  consist  of  walls,  towers, 
houses,  cisterns  and  vaults,  all  of  which,  though  greatly  decayed, 
are  sufficiently  preserved  to  indicate  the  use  made  of  them  when 
they  were  erected.  The  view  from  the  peak  of  this  lofty  mountain 
is  better  than  that  from  Mt.  Nazareth  in  some  respects,  but  not  so 
general,  for  several  points  can  be  seen  from  the  latter  that  are  not 
prominentfrom  thesummit  of  the  former.  Investigations  haveshown 
the  ruins  scattered  over  Tabor  are  of  Jewish,  Byzantine,  Crusad- 
ing and  Saracenic  origin.  There  are  indications  of  several  cisterns 
having  been  cut  in  the  rock,  which  are  supposed  to  belong  to  the 
Jewish  period,  and  are  likely  to  have  been  cut  out  during  the  time 
Josephus  had  command.  The  descent  from  the  mountain  is  not 
dangerous,  as  might  be  supposed,  but  very  tedious  ;  many  times 
it  is  found  best  to  alight  from  the  horse  and  walk  over  the  very 
rough  places  ;  persons  are  advised  to  make  this  descent  in  the  cool 
of  the  morning  ;  therefore  an  early  start  is  necessary,  so  that  Tibe- 
rias can  be  reached  in  time  to  make  a  trip  across  the  lake  to 
Capernaum  and  Bethsaida  on  the  same  day. 

Now,  if  this  majestic  Tabor  is  the  place  where  that  memorable 
transfiguration  of  our  Lord  occurred,  how  hallowed  is  its  lofty  sum- 
rait,  and  what  a  gush  of  divine  glory  covered  it  when  the  immaculate 
feet  of  the  world's  Redeemer  rested  upon  its  rocky  surface  !  The 
beauty  and  majesty  in  which  the  Saviour  appeared  to  receive  His 
heavenly  guests,  cannot  be  described  even  by  those  who  had  an 
opportunity  to  behold  Him  for  a  moment.  There  was  no  change 
in  the  nature  of  Christ,  although  His  form  and  appearance  were 
marvellously  transformed ;  but  in  substance  His  body  remained  the 
same  as  when  the  angelic  host  proclaimed  in  song  His  entrance  into 
the  world,  or  as  when  He  ascended  the  rocky  summit.     The  cause 


404  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

for  which  Christ  went  up  into  the  mountain  was  unknown  to  the 
three  witnesses,  for  our  Lord  did  not  give  them  the  least  intima- 
tion of  the  event.  And  when  it  took  place,  they  were  so  greatly 
overwhelmed  they  could  not  maintain  strength  enough  to  catch 
but  a  slight  glimpse  of  the  splendor  with  which  He  was  adorned, 
however  desirous  they  may  have  been  to  witness  the  whole  trans- 
action. The  sight  was  too  effulgent  for  them  to  gaze  upon  fully  at 
that  stage  of  their  spiritual  adoption  ;  they  were  not  members  of 
the  council,  but  taken  up  there  simply  to  witness  the  glorious  pre- 
parations for  it.  Therefore,  they  were  not  permitted  to  hear  what 
was  said  during  the  conversation  ;  they  simply  saw  the  transform- 
ation of  Christ,  and  the  two  members  of  the  Holy  Convocation 
appear  upon  the  scene,  then  they  fell  into  a  state  of  death-like  stupor, 
and  remained  so  until  the  conclusion  of  the  conference.  What 
less  could  Peter  say  than  he  did,  and  what  more  could  he  have  pro- 
posed to  exjDress  his  willingness  to  be  shut  in  with  Jesus  from  the 
communion  of  the  rest  of  mankind  ?  He  exclaimed  :  "  Lord,  it 
is  good  for  us  to  be  here  ;  let  us  make  three  tabernacles,  one  for 
Thee,  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias."  It  may  be  said  of 
Tabor  or  Hermon  (for  this  scene  occurred  upon  one  of  the  two 
beyond  all  doubt),  that  the  most  stupendously  glorious  conference 
ever  conducted  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  known  to  man,  was  held 
on  the  occasion  of  the  transfiguration  of  Christ. 

Two  patriarchs  of  the  militant  church  had  come  to  pay  honor  to 
the  Saviour,  and  to  talk  with  Him  concerning  His  death,  which 
was  soon  to  take  place  over  at  Jerusalem.  Moses,  the  distin- 
guished leader  of  the  Hebrews,  came  as  the  chief  representative  of 
the  law  that  was  given  him  on  Mount  Sinai,  which  he  made  known 
to  the  people  in  his  charge.  Elijah  came  as  the  chief  representa- 
tive of  the  prophets,  who  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  our 
Lord's  coming.  The  condition  of  the  three  witnesses  during  the  time 
they  had  to  catch  a  glimpse  at  the  likeness  and  distinguish  the  two 
ancient  worthies,  must  have  been  to  them  a  transporting  scene. 
But  neither  of  them  could  take  such  advantage  of  the  event  as  to 
listen  to  what  was  being  said,  or  see  what  those  distinguished  rep- 
resentatives did ;  the  whole  transaction  was  as  a  blank  to  them  ;  it 
was  a  secret  council.  Therefore,  beings  who  knew  nothing  practi- 
cally of  the  state  beyond  this  life  could  not  be  permitted  even  to 
hear  what  was  being  said.  It  must  have  been  a  most  glorious 
sight,  and,  notwithstanding  we  were  not  with  the  favored  three 
who  saw  the  beginning  of  the  transfiguration,  we  join  St.  Peter  in 
the  statement,  it  was  good  to  be  there. 


NOTED  PLACES-  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  405 

The  journey  from  the  foot  of  Tabor  to  Tiberias  i?  not  a  pleasant 
one,  but  the  thought  of  visiting  the  place  where  our  Lord  did 
many  of  His  mighty  works  makes  the  travel  much  less  fatiguing. 
The  whole  route,  except  in  two  or  three  places,  is  dreary,  rough 
and  monotonous.  There  are  no  shade-trees  along  the  way,  and 
those  traveling  that  route  in  April  or  May,  experience  a  most 
unpleasant  and  tiresome  journey.  When  the  descent  into  the  plain  is 
made,  Tabor  is  seen  in  its  majesty,  lifting  its  summit  beyond  the  lower 
clouds,  and  presents  a  form  more  amazing  than  from  any  other 
point  hitherto  seen,  especially  when  an  unobstructed  view  from  its 
base  to  summit  is  obtained.  There  is  but  one  place  of  material 
interest  along  the  route,  which  is  the  old  caravan  road  leading 
from  Jerusalem  to  Damascus.  This  is  crossed  at  a  place  called 
Khan-el-Zejjar,  the  merchants'  caravanserai.  This  is  the  identical 
road  Saul  of  Tarsus  went,  in  company  with  his  little  band  of  men, 
on  his  mission  to  Damascus  to  persecute  the  saints.  It  is  also 
thought  they  stopped  for  the  night  at  the  old  inn,  just  at  the  cross 
roads  we  have  named.  This  is  a  very  dreary  place,  and  deadly 
quiet,  except  one  day  in  each  week  it  is  a  scene  of  tumultuous 
confusion. 

The  merchants  assemble  here  from  all  parts  of  the  country  for 
miles  once  a  week  to  conduct  their  sales ;  many  are  found  there 
from  day-break  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  "SATien  they  &\\  arrive, 
the  space  used  for  the  market  is  well  filled  with  men,  camels,  don- 
keys and  produce  of  various  kinds  ;  then  a  scene  of  wild  confusion 
begins,  which  would  seem  to  one  unaccustomed  to  their  mode  of 
transacting  business,  that  a  mob,  with  the  serious  results  of  great 
loss  of  life,  had  occurred.  But  no  trouble  of  a  dangerous  charac- 
ter happens  ;  the  natives  are  a  very  excitable  people,  and  make  the 
greatest  fuss  over  small  matters.  AVe  have  witnessed  many  occa- 
sions when  from  the  conduct  of  the  people  nothing  short  of  a  hard 
battle  was  looked  for  ;  but  all  soon  became  quiet  without  having 
struck  a  blow.  When  the  afternoon  advances,  the  merchants  and 
dealers  quietly  disperse  from  their  wonderful  market  and  return  to 
their  distant  homes,  leaving  the  place  to  resume  its  usual  solitude. 
I  had  not  the  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  market  at  Khan-el- 
Zejjar,  but  formed  an  opinion  of  it  from  the  conduct  of  the  people 
at  others  we  had  seen. 

The  Saturday  I  left  Nazareth  for  Tiberias,  was  very  unpleasant. 
It  began  raining  in  the  morning  and  continued  all  day,  and, 
although  we  had  made  careful  preparations  for  the  weather,  it  was 


406  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

SO  piercing  that  our  clothing  was  very  wet  when  we  reached  the  lit- 
tle village  on  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Our  horses  were  faithful,  and 
took  us  down  in  good  time,  but  they  showed  evidences  of  being  much 
worried  by  the  storm.  There  are  many  places  and  things  to 
interest  the  traveler  round  about  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Our  Lord 
spent  much  time  here,  doing  wonderful  works,  and  establishing  his 
Messiahship  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  thousands.  Thronging 
multitudes  followed  Him  from  place  to  place  around  the  sea,  and 
made  the  hills  echo  with  their  importunities  to  be  healed  of  deadly 
diseases  with  which  they  had  been  grievously  tormented  for  many 
years.  From  here  His  fame  spread  to  all  the  nations  and  people 
in  far-away  countries,  as  a  wonderful  physician,  whose  healing  power 
had  never  failed  to  instantly  exterminate  any  disease  the  people 
were  afflicted  with. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  our  Lord  did  not  leave  His  home  in 
Nazareth  simply  to  build  for  Himself  a  great  reputation  as  a  healer 
of  all  complaints  so  as  to  display  His  divine  power,  for  He  would 
have  gladly  done  for  the  people  of  His  home  all  these  things 
which  were  so  greatly  beneficial  to  those  of  other  towns  and  cities, 
if  they  had  not  murderously  rejected  Him.  The  time  having 
come  for  Him  to  openly  work  the  works  of  the  Father  who  sent 
Him,  and  being  forced  to  leave  the  home  of  His  childhood,  our 
Redeemer  came  down  the  mountainous  region  of  Galilee,  entered 
Capernaum  and  temporarily  established  His  home  there.  He 
immediately  began  anew  His  mission  of  mercy  and  love  that  the 
dwellers  of  Nazareth  so  blindly  rejected. 

St.  John  tells  us  our  Lord  went  from  Cana  in  company  with 
His  mother,  brethren  and  disciples  down  to  Capernaum,  where  He 
only  remained  a  few  days,  as  it  was  about  the  time  for  Him  to 
attend  the  Jewish  Passover  at  Jerusalem.  On  one  occasion  He 
found  the  Temple  desecrated  by  those  who  had  made  it  a  trading 
place,  at  which  the  Lord  became  disgusted  and  whipped  them  out. 
These  occasions  were  very  exciting  in  Jerusalem  ;  the  people  in  all 
parts  of  the  land  looked  with  eagerness,  hoping  to  be  able  to  go  up 
to  the  great  feast.  When  the  time  drew  near,  large  companies  from 
every  section  of  the  country  would  wend  their  way  to  the  great 
festival,  M'hich  grew  more  attractive  each  year ;  that  is,  it  became 
less  sacred  and  more  for  pastime,  and  what  we  would  call  miscel- 
laneous pleasures.  The  venders  of  doves,  pigeons,  oxen,  sheep,  etc., 
and  the  ever  ready  money-changers  usually  made  extra  preparations 
for  the  entertainment.     The  people  began  gathering  several  days 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  407 

before  the  feast  took  place ;  the  throng  was  so  dense  during  the 
celebration  that  accommodations  could  not  be  had  for  all  in  the 
houses  or  public  inns  ;  hence  it  became  necessary  to  put  up  tents 
on  Mounts  Zion  and  Bezetha  beyond  the  confines  of  the  walls. 

The  Easter  feast  now  celebrated  in  Jerusalem  is  not  to  be  in 
any  way  compared  with  the  ancient  Jewish  feast,  neither  in  the 
number  of  attendants,  nor  the  character  of  the  feast.  But  if  we 
could  witness  one  of  the  annual  celebrations  at  Mecca,  when  from 
two  to  three  hundred  thousand  people  have  gathered,  we  could 
form  an  idea  of  the  gathering  at  the  great  Jewish  feasts  in  the  time 
of  our  Lord.  Now  if  we  could  fix  our  minds  on  a  scene  of  this 
character,  composed  of  men,  women,  and  children  of  all  grades  of 
society  and  dispositions,  crowding  the  Temple  that  had  been  built 
especially  for  the  worship  of  God,  degrading  its  sacred  precincts 
with  merchandise,  and  defiling  its  sanctum  by  cheating  and  robbing, 
we  would  not  wonder  that  Jesus,  who  was  full  of  compassion, 
became  indignant  at  such  inexcusable  wickedness.  To  look  at  the 
conduct  of  our  Lord  from  a  natural  standpoint,  we  might  be 
amazed  at  the  fact  that  the  many  who  were  selling  and  buying  in 
the  Temple,  allowed  one  man  to  drive  them  all  out  with  a  cord 
without  remonstrating.  But  there  was  a  power  in  Him  they 
keenly  felt  and  feared ;  therefore  they  fled  from  His  presence. 
This  alone  should  have  convinced  them  and  all  the  people  in 
Jerusalem  of  His  divinity. 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  Jerusalem  the  conference  took  place 
between  our  Lord  and  Nicodemus,  who  sought  an  interview  with 
Him  in  the  night,  and  was  kindly  listened  to  by  the  Saviour,  who 
afterward  delivered  a  powerful  sermon  to  him,  assuring  him  that  the 
simple  fact  of  his  being  persuaded  that  Jesus  was  sent  of  God  to 
teach  and  enlighten  men  was  not  sufficient — he  "  must  be  born 
again."  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  Nicodemus  returned  home 
fully  convinced  of  the  authority  of  Christ,  and  saw  his  own  condi- 
tion as  never  before.  Some  authors  criticise  this  night  visitor  for 
not  telling  his  associates  of  the  conference  he  had  with  Jesus  ;  but 
to  my  mind  it  was  better,  under  the  circumstances,  that  he  should 
hold  his  peace. 

When  the  time  came  for  Jesus  to  depart  from  Judaea,  He 
returned  to  Galilee  through  the  district  of  Samaria,  and  stopped  at 
Jacob's  well,  as  has  been  stated  in  another  chapter.  After  two 
days,  He  left  Samaria  and  came  into  Galilee,  and  was  gladly  wel- 
comed by  the  Galileans,  for  many  of  them  had  been  up  to  the  feast 


408  THE  LAND  OF  PHOMISE. 

at  Jerusalem  and  witnessed  the  works  of  power  He  did  there  ; 
then  Jesus  came  again  to  Caua,  where  He  had  changed  water  into 
wine.  This  was  a  timely  visit,  just  as  were  all  the  others  made  by 
Him.  He  was  anxiously  desired  at  the  time  by  a  nobleman  in 
Capernaum,  whose  son  was  very  ill,  and  nothing  that  had  been 
done  for  his  restoration  to  health  was  effectual. 

THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON  HEALED. 

The  news  of  our  Lord's  return  spread  through  the  land  as  if 
sent  by  electricity ;  every  one  passing  through  Cana,  which  is  on 
the  road  leading  from  Nazareth  to  Capernaum  (and  people  were 
passing  to  and  from  those  cities  constantly),  told  the  news  that 
Jesus  had  returned  to  Cana.  It  is  highly  probable  He  was 
expected  ;  for  although  He  had  been  absent  about  nine  months,  it 
was  generally  known  in  what  part  of  the  country  He  was  laboring, 
and  when  He  resolved  to  return  to  Galilee,  we  have  no  doubt  the 
news  reached  the  province,  and  likely  the  capital,  in  advance  of  Him. 
The  nobleman,  hearing  that  Jesus  had  returned  to  Cana,  which  was 
about  twenty  miles  from  him,  made  all  possible  speed  to  go  for 
Him  to  come  and  heal  his  son,  who  seemed  to  be  in  the  arms  of 
death.  When  the  man  found  Him,  he  made  a  touching  appeal : 
"  Sir,  come  down  ere  my  child  die,"  was  his  beseeching  petition. 
This  was  a  glorious  opportunity  for  Jesus  to  manifest  the  power 
He  had  over  a  dreadful  fever  without  being  by  the  bedside  of  the 
sick,  or  sending  anything  to  be  taken.  It  was  a  real  faith  cure. 
"Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liyeth,"  said  the  Lord.  The  nobleman  took 
Christ  at  His  word,  firmly  believed  his  son  would  be  healed,  and 
returned  home  filled  with  hope.  He  was  met  by  his  servant  the 
next  day,  as  he  was  approaching  the  house,  with  the  glad  news  of 
the  complete  restoration  of  his  son  to  health,  and  that  the  fever 
that  held  him  with  a  deathly  grasp  had  left  him  about  one  o'clock 
the  previous  day,  Avhich  corresponded  exactly  with  the  time  Jesus 
assured  him  the  boy  should  be  healed.  What  news  could  have 
been  more  joyful  to  that  father,  whose  interest  in  the  health  of  his 
son  compelled  him  to  travel  over  the  rough  and  dangerous  moun- 
tain road  to  procure  the  services  of  Jesus,  the  Great  Physician,  who 
alone  was  able  to  exterminate  the  deadly  disease  that  was  surely 
stealing  away  the  life  of  his  son;  and  what  could  have  demon- 
strated to  him  more  pungently  the  divinity  of  Jesus,  than  the  favor 
so  mercifully  conferred  ?  The  meeting  at  home  must  have  been 
one  of  great  emotion,  intensified  with  the  tenderest  embraces.    It  is 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  409 

certain  the  nobleman  did  not  leave  the  presence  of  Jesus  doubting, 
nor  did  he  entertain  a  moment's  mistrust  during  his  return,  for  he 
was  about  twenty-four  hours  in  returning^  which  could  have  been 
traveled  ordinarily  in  eight  hours,  and  by  forcing  the  journey,  it 
could  have  been  made  in  six,  for  nearly  the  whole  distance  is  down 
hill.  He  seems  to  have  been  several  hours  longer  going  home  than 
he  was  coming  over  to  Cana,  which  is  an  evidence  that  he  came  in 
haste  to  find  Jesus  if  possible  before  the  lad  died.  But  having  had 
the  promise  that  his  son  would  live,  he  went  home  slowly. 

THE  VISIT  TO  CAPERNAUM. 

There  seems  to  have  been  an  interval  of  several  months  between 
the  time  of  the  miraculous  healing  of  the  nobleman's  son  and  the 
visit  the  Saviour  made  to  Capernaum.  He  returned  to  Nazareth 
after  He  had  spent  the  time  allotted  Him  in  and  about  Cana ;  in 
the  mean  time  He  was  pre})aring  to  enter  more  largely  upon  the 
work  of  His  mission  of  healing  the  sick,  casting  out  devils,  and 
raising  the  dead.  Our  Lord  made  Cana  His  temporary  head- 
quarters or  the  point  from  which  He  started  on  His  mission  of 
mercy  through  all  that  region.  Luke  says,  "  He  taught  in  their 
synagogues  and  was  glorified  of  all."  (John  iv.  50 ;  Luke 
iv.  15).  This  is  the  time  He  went  to  Nazareth,  the  home  of  His 
parents,  where  He  had  been  reared  from  infancy  ;  and  the  people, 
having  heard  of  His  w'onderful  works,  invited  Him  to  conduct  the 
reading  and  address  the  people  in  their  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath. 
The  result  that  followed  has  been  stated  on  another  page. 

Being  compelled  to  leave  home,  Jesus  came  to  Capernaum, 
where  He  had  several  friends,  who  would  receive  Him  most  gladly. 
The  nobleman,  whose  son  He  healed  from  the  deadly  fever  and  all 
his  house,  were  His  friends,  and  would  have  arranged  to  accom- 
modate their  benefactor  during  His  stay;  but  our  Lord  preferred  a 
more  humble  residence, — one  that  the  poorest  of  men  would  not 
fear  to  approach.  Therefore  He  came  to  the  house  of  Peter,  the 
poor  fisherman,  and  seems  to  have  made  it  His  headquarters  while 
in  that  city.  Jesus,  having  settled  upon  Capernaum  as  His  future 
home,  entered  with  great  power  upon  the  work  of  teaching  men  the 
way  of  salvation  ;  confining  His  labors  largely  to  the  province  of 
Galilee,  through  which  He  made  three  special  itineracies,  working 
many  miracles,  and  healing  all  kinds  of  diseases.  How  blind  the 
Jews  were ;  all  of  them  looking  steadfastly  for  the  coming  king 
known  as  the  Messiah;  and  according  to  their  instruction,  they  ex- 


410  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

pected  He  would  first  appear  in  one  of  their  four  sacred  cities ; 
therefore  they  were  found  each  year  there  looking  for  him,  and  as 
Tiberias  was  one  of  these  cities,  it  would  be  filled  w^ith  Jews  each 
year  about  the  season  they  expected  their  deliverer  would  come. 
But  when  He  came  in  their  midst  and  performed  such  things  as  no 
one  but  God  can,  they  turned  themselves  from  Him. 

How  assiduously  our  Lord  labored  for  the  good  of  men  !  For 
beside  doing  the  wonderful  works  daily,  He  walked  over  all  the 
ground,  making  three  circuits  over  Galilee,  passing  through  Samaria 
and  Judea,  through  a  portion  of  the  country  beyond  the  Jordan, 
and  we  hear  of  Him  being  out  in  the  northwest  as  far  as  the  borders 
of  Phoenicia.  We  do  not  hear  of  Him  riding  at  any  time  until 
He  entered  in  triumph  into  Jerusalem ;  at  this  time  He  rode  a 
donkey  from  Bethany  to  the  Holy  City.  When  the  fame  of  Jesus 
had  spread  over  the  land  as  a  great  teacher  and  healer,  multitudes 
came  to  Him,  so  that  many  strangers  were  seen  in  Capernaum. 
Many  no  doubt  came  just  to  see  the  man  about  whom  so  much  was 
being  said ;  some  came  to  be  healed  of  their  disease,  or  brought  their 
friends  to  hav^e  their  ills  exterminated. 

When  Jesus  went  from  the  synagogue  to  the  house  of  Simon 
Peter,  He  found  Simon's  mother-in-law  very  sick  with  a  torment- 
ing fever.  He  rebuked  the  diseasfe,  and  it  left  her  immediately,  so 
that  "  she  rose  up  from  her  couch  at  once  and  ministered  unto 
them."  This  was  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  news  was  soon  dis- 
patched through  the  city,  of  the  miraculous  healing  of  the  mother 
of  Peter's  wife,  which  created  a  great  desire  in  many  to  apply  to 
Him  to  cure  them.  It  must  have  been  a  time  of  great  jealousy 
among  the  physicians,  who  so  suddenly  lost  their  prestige.  It  is 
reasonable  to  presume  they  would  have  gladly  expelled  Him  from 
the  city  if  it  had  been  in  their  power.  The  people  w^ere  ready  to 
go  at  once  to  have  our  Lord  heal  them,  but  many  were  prevented 
by  those  who  pretended  to  scrupulously  observe  the  Sabbath,  insist- 
ing they  should  not  visit  Jesus  on  such  business  until  after  the 
hour  which  closed  the  Sabbath  day,  teaching  the  poor  sick  ones  the 
moral  law,  forbidding  them  doing  anything  of  the  kind  on  that 
day.  Several  observed  their  request  and  waited  with  impatience 
until  the  blast  of  the  trumpet  announced  the  close  of  the  Sabbath. 
Then  the  multitude  made  a  dash  for  the  house  of  Simon  Peter  to 
see  Jesus, 

Our  Lord  had  been  teaching  the  multitude,  and  being  greatly 
pressed,  it  became  necessary  he  should  enter  a  boat  and  move  a 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  411 

little  from  the  shore.  It  was  Peter's  fishing  boat  He  entered,  and 
Peter  at  that  moment  was  off  with  his  brothers  with  their  nets. 
They  had  been  fishing  all  night  and  caught  nothing ;  therefore  they 
were  much  discouraged.  After  the  Saviour  finished  speaking  to 
the  people,  He  told  the  men  to  put  out  a  little  into  the  deep  and 
prepare  for  a  draught ;  they  did  so,  and  caught  so  great  a  number 
their  boats  began  to  sink.  They  became  convinced  of  His  divinity, 
and  at  the  command  they  followed  He  first  called,  according  to 
the  evangelists,  Simon  Peter,  and  Andrew,  his  brother ;  James  and 
John,  sons  of  Zebedee.  These  first  disciples  seem  to  have  fol- 
lowed our  Lord  on  his  first  itineracy  through  Galilee.  They  left 
their  nets  and  came  into  Capernaum  with  Jesus,  and  went  in  com- 
pany with  Him  to  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath.  This  is  the 
occasion  when  He  expelled  the  unclean  spirit  from  the  man  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  people.  The  unclean  spirit  objected ;  but  He 
bade  him  come  out  of  the  man,  and  he  obeyed. 

In  a  comparatively  short  time  the  house  was  crowded,  and  a 
multitude,  being  unable  to  get  in,  remained  about  the  yard.  Jesus 
without  a  murmur  attended  each  case  in  regular  order.  "  He  laid 
His  hands  on  them  all  and  cured  them."  It  was  a  busy  night 
with  Christ,  but  He  took  pleasure  in  healing  each  one  of  whatever 
disease  he  possessed.  It  must  have  been  a  wonderful  sight,  espe- 
cially when  the  devils  came  out  of  some  of  them  "  crying  out  and 
saying,  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God."  The  number  of  persons 
healed  was  very  great,  and  no  doubt  it  was  a  late  hour  before  He 
had  a  chance  to  take  His  rest.  He  could  have  healed  every  one 
with  a  single  word,  but  did  not  choose  to  adopt  that  method ;  hav- 
ing many  ways  at  command  to  cure.  He  preferred  to  work  with 
His  hands  that  night,  although  it  required  several  hours  to  lay 
them  on  that  vast  multitude  of  infirm  people. 

But  the  Saviour  was  not  fatigued,  for  when  the  day  broke  He 
rose  up  and  sought  a  place  of  retirement  that  He  might  commune 
with  the  Father  before  the  busy  scenes  of  the  day  began.  It  is 
likely  the  multitude  who  had  been  healed  spent  a  sleepless  night 
with  their  friends  holding  a  jubilee  over  the  result  of  the  event 
that  restored  them  to  health,  and  no  doubt  sent  word  to  all  whom 
they  knew  to  be  troubled  with  disease,  to  come  over  quickly  and 
apply  to  Jesus  for  relief.  At  any  rate  the  news  quickly  spread, 
and  an  early  start  was  made  for  Peter's  house  by  a  host  of  sick 
people  possessed  of  various  diseases. 

They   must  have   been  greatly  exercised   when  it  was  made 


412  THE  LAND   OF  PKOMISE. 

known  the  Lord  was  not  there,  but  had  left  early  in  the  morning, 
saying  nothing  as  to  His  destination,  nor  when  He  would  return. 
But  Jesus  was  at  the  time  out  in  the  quiet  desert  having  uninter- 
rupted communion  with  the  Father.  This  seems  to  be  the  first 
recorded  instance  of  our  Lord  going  out  to  engage  in  private  devo- 
tion at  the  early  dawn.  Simon  Peter,  who  seems  to  have  known 
where  the  Lord  w^as,  seeing  how  disappointed  the  people  were, 
concluded  to  lead  them  to  Jesus,  and  when  he  had  come  to  where 
He  was,  he  told  Him  how  eagerly  the  people  sought  Him.  But 
He  said  to  Peter,  "  Let  us  go  to  the  next  town  that  I  may  preach 
there  also,  for  therefore  came  I  forth."  It  is  plain  that  Jesus  did 
not  wait  for  the  people  to  come  to  Him,  for  many  living  remotely 
from  Capernaum  had  po  way  to  reach  Him,  and  wishing  all  to  be 
beneficiaries  of  His  blessings.  He  was  anxious  to  visit  them. 

The  impression  made  by  our  Lord  in  Capernaum  before  start- 
ing on  this  mission  was  so  great,  the  people  spread  His  name 
through  all  Galilee,  so  that  the  whole  country  was  excited  over  His 
good  works.  All  the  people  of  the  cities  and  towns  received  Him 
gladly,  except  those  who  were  ambitious  to  be  lords,  such  as  the 
Scribes,  Pharisees,  Elders,  and  rulers  of  the  people.  These  classes 
generally  opposed  Jesus  secretly,  and  when  there  was  no  danger  of 
an  uprising  against  them  by  the  people,  they  made  open  opposition 
to  His  claims.  But  His  ability  to  heal  the  poor  sick  folks,  who 
had  been  many  years  pressed  down  under  incurable  complaints, 
was  so  clearly  demonstrated,  no  persuasions  offered  by  these  mali- 
cious enemies  could  deter  the  people  from  seeking  Him  from  every 
part  of  the  country  round  about.  These  good  tidings  had  reached 
those  living  in  Judea  and  beyond  the  Jordan,  many  of  whom  came 
seeking  Him  over  in  Galilee. 

It  is  a  most  pleasant  thought,  that  of  all  the  varied  cases  pre- 
sented to  Christ  not  one  was  too  hard  for  Him  to  master ;  whether 
the  persons  were  blind,  halt,  dumb,  deaf,  covered  with  leprosy, 
possessed  with  devils,  or  dead,  He  controlled  every  case  and  set 
the  captive  free.  It  was  many  times  so  very  exciting  in  those 
parts  Jesus  visited,  the  people  left  their  daily  work  for  a  while 
and  followed  Him  into  other  towns  and  cities. 

One  of  the  most  touching  appeals  was  made  to  our  Lord  by  a 
poor  man  who  was  smitten  with  leprosy.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
very  severe  case,  for  the  Evangelists  say,  "He  was  full  of  it;" 
and,  having  heard  of  Jesus'  wonderful  cures,  he  came  and  fell  at 
His  feet  saying,  "  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean." 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  413 

Jesus  immediately  had  compassion  on  the  man  and  healed  him. 
What  a  gracious  change  !  The  disease  had  not  only  made  its  subject 
miserable,  but  ostracised  him  from  the  society  of  his  friends.  It  is 
a  most  dreaded  and  destructive  affliction ;  when  it  takes  hold  of  one 
it  never  releases  its  victim  until  death  discharges  it.  Would  any- 
one Avonder  that  the  man  spread  the  news  everywhere,  telling  all 
whom  he  met  what  Jesus  of  Nazareth  had  done  for  him,  and  what 
great  joy  there  must  have  been  at  his  home  when  his  friends  met 
and  embraced  him  ! 

It  was  the  custom  of  Jesus  to  so  arrange  His  tours  of  mercy  to 
be  in  a  community  on  the  Sabbath  where  a  synagogue  was  located, 
that  He  might  teach  the  people  and  open  their  understanding  to 
the  things  pertaining  to  their  peace  with  God.  The  pressing 
demand  to  hear  Him  w^as  so  great  that  the  officials  always  invited 
Him  to  explain  the  Scriptures.  Therefore  Jesus  taught  and 
preached  in  all  the  synagogues  throughout  Galilee.  The  whole 
country  was  dotted  with  these  places  of  worship.  They  were  built 
for  the  convenience  of  the  people  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  from 
captivity.  To  build  a  synagogue  was  regarded  as  a  mark  of  piety  ; 
hence,  if  it  was  found  that  a  community  of  ordinary  wealth  was 
without  such  a  building,  it  was  as  surprising  as  it  would  be  to  those 
of  our  times  should  they  enter  a  large  town  or  city  in  which  t  lere 
is  no  Christian  church,  and  no  one  directing  the  people  to  the  Lamb 
of  God.  There  were  also  many  people  dispersed  through  Galilee 
who  could  not  attend  the  services  at  Jerusalem  on  those  great  occa- 
sions to  worship,  while  others  could  only,  with  much  difficulty, 
manage  to  go  once  each  year.  The  synagogues  served  as  a  kind  of 
substitute  for  those  who,  by  reason  of  physical  and  domestic  ina- 
bilities, were  unable  to  go  up  to  the  Temple  with  the  hosts  that 
assembled  there.  They  were  so  constructed  that  the  faces  of  the 
people  who  went  into  them  to  worship  were  turned  toward  Jerusa- 
lem. They  were  allowed  to  be  built  any  place  where  the  commu- 
nity was  large  enough  to  form  a  medium  congregation.  They  all 
contained  special  seats  for  the  elders,  which  were  known,  being 
higher  than  the  others ;  usually  invited  guests  sat  on  them,  and 
they  were  commonly  called  "  the  chief  seats."  The  Pharisees,  who 
were  always  anxious  to  be  conspicuous,  generally  sat  in  them,  so 
that  they  might  be  looked  upon  with  a  high  degree  of  veneration. 
Jesus  referred  to  them  when  He  was  administering  a  searching 
rebuke  to  these  selfish  men. 

The  synagogues  were  usually  built  by  personal  gifts,  as  churches 


414  THE   LAND  OF  PKOMISE. 

are  in  onr  times.  Tlie  people  would  come  together  wherever  their 
means  would  justify  such  procedure,  and  give  according  to  their 
ability  money  enough  to  build  a  house  of  worship  suited  to  the 
number  of  attendants.  Sometimes  one  person  who  desired  to  im- 
mortalize his  name  would  build  a  synagogue  for  the  people.  Those 
who  came  to  Jesus  in  behalf  of  the  Roman  nobleman's  servant, 
regarded  the  recommendations  they  gave  him  of  the  highest  im- 
portance when  they  said,  "  He  is  worthy  that  thou  shouldst  do  this 
for  him ;  for  he  loveth  our  nation,  and  himself  built  us  our  syna- 
gogue." While  the  services  were  being  conducted  the  strictest 
decorum  was  enforced  and  any  manifest  tendency  to  violate  the  rule 
was  sternly  rebuked. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  were  four  hundred  and  eighty  of  these 
buildings  in  Jerusalem  alone.  These  places  of  worship  contained 
two  apartments,  one  on  the, west,  the  other  on  the  east.  The  former 
was  the  repository  of  the  chest  in  which  the  books  of  the  law  and 
the  sections  of  the  prophecies  were  kept ;  and,  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  main  room,  it  was  called  the  temple;  the  other  apartment, 
in  which  the  congregation  assembled,  was  known  as  the  synagogue. 
The  men  and  women  had  separate  seats ;  the  former  occupied  the 
main  floor  and  the  latter  had  seats  arranged  in  the  gallery  secluded 
behind  lattice-work.  The  last  of  the  services  was  the  reading  of 
certain  portions  of  Scripture,  and  the  preaching  was  done  by  the 
officials  or  some  one  chosen  by  them.  It  can  be  understood  from  this 
how  our  Lord  had  so  many  opportunities  to  read  and  preach  in 
synagogues.  He  was  generally  known  and  sought  by  the  people 
in  every  city  He  entered  ;  and  many  times  the  officials  were  just  as 
eager  to  hear  Him  as  those  who  followed  Him ;  hence  it  was  no 
trouble  for  an  opening  to  be  made  to  have  Him  preach  at  each  place 
He  was  found  on  the  Sabbath  day. 

When  Jesus  had  completed  the  first  itineracy  through  Galilee, 
He  came  back  to  His  '■'  own  city,"  to  attend  to  those  who 
sought  Him  there,  and  to  work  wonders  in  the  presence  of 
great  multitudes  from  all  the  country  around.  His  fame  had  so 
attracted  the  people  in  all  parts  of  the  land  that  "  everybody  was 
talking  about  Jesus."  This  intensified  the  malice  of  His  opposers 
to  the  extent  they  determined  to  spare  no  pains  in  securing  His 
capture.  The  Pharisees  and  doctors  from  all  the  villages  and 
cities  in  Galilee  and  Judea,  and  those  at  Jerusalem,  rose  up  as  if 
drawn  by  magic,  and  came  down  to  Capernaum  to  criticise  Jesus, 
and  use  their  uttermost  endeavors  to  turn  popular  opinion  against 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  415 

Him.  They  assembled  at  Peter's  house,  mingling  with  the  anxious 
throng  that  had  gathered  from  every  direction.  Just  then  four 
men  brought  one  of  their  friends  lying  on  his  cot  helpless,  stricken 
■with  palsy  ;  and  when  they  found  it  impossible  because  of  the  mul- 
titude to  get  to  the  door,  went  on  the  house-top  and  let  him  down 
before  Jesus  that  He  might  heal  him.  He  turned  His  attention  to 
the  man  and  said,  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee."  Then  a  general 
murmur  was  indulged  among  the  Pharisees  and  doctors,  claiming 
that  "  none  but  God  could  forgive  sins."  Jesus,  perceiving  their 
reasonings,  clearly  demonstrated  that  the  Son  of  Man  had  power  to 
forgive  sins,  by  commanding  the  man  to  rise,  saying,  "  Arise,  take 
up  thy  couch  and  go  unto  thy  house,"  the  man  quickly  obeyed,  to 
the  amazement  of  all  present ;  so  much  were  they  astonished,  they 
said  one  to  the  other,  "We  have  seen  strange  things  to-day." 

Our  Lord,  having  silenced  these  critics,  left  the  house  and  went 
along  the  sea-shore,  followed  by  an  enthusiastic  throng,  and  saw 
Levi,  a  tax-collector,  sitting  at  the  customs  office,  and  He  said  to 
him  "  Follow  me ; "  he  immediately  rose  up,  left  all,  and  followed 
Him.  This  man  may  have  seen  Jesus,  but  never  as  at  that  time. 
As  a  public  acknowledgment  of  his  thankfulness  of  the  favor  of 
being  counted  worthy  of  being  a  follower  of  Christ,  Levi  gave  a 
great  feast  in  honor  of  Him,  to  which  he  had  invited  a  multitude 
of  publicans.  The  Pharisees  regarded  that  class  as  too  mean  for 
them  to  associate  with,  just  as  many  of  the  same  spirit  do  to-day. 
But  Jesus  was  teaching  the  fatherhood  of  God,  and  the  brother- 
hood of  man  ;  that,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  they  were  but  men. 
This  Levi  was  the  St.  Matthew  who  wrote  the  first  book  of  the 
New  Testament.  » 

It  was  a  busy  day  with  Jesus  on  the  Sabbath.  He  restored  the 
poor  man  whose  hand  had  been  paralyzed  a  long  time.  The  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  whose  teachings  were  very  unlike  that  of  Jesus,  were 
jealous  of  the  great  fame  He  had  won  in  all  parts  of  the  land,  for 
about  that  time  the  masses  of  the  people  of  all  classes  had  turned 
their  attention  to  Him,  which  was  one  of  the  reasons  no  effijrt  was 
interposed  to  keep  Him  from  teaching  in  cities  and  towns.  But 
wherever  Christ  went,  the  malicious  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were 
found  watching  Plira  and  endeavoring  to  measure  every  word  and 
work  He  did,  hoping  by  that  method  to  catch  Him  committing 
some  deed  or  saying  a  word  that  would  give  them  an  opportunity 
to  charge  Him  with  violating  the  law.  It  was  very  grievous  to 
those  who  would  be  lords  to  find  that  their  influence  had  so  sud- 


416  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

deuly  left  them  aud  everybody  seemed  to  follow  Jesus.  It  was  no 
use  for  them  to  openly  attack  Him,  for  the  people  would  have  inter- 
fered, and  they  could  do  nothing  with  Him  in  arguments,  for  they 
would  soon  become  tangled  so  greatly  that  the  people  would  see 
their  weakness,  as  had  been  the  case  the  last  time  they  attacked 
Him. 

The  thing  they  tried  to  establish  in  popular  estimation  was  that 
Jesus  was  a  Sabbath-breaker  and  was  generally  lawless.  Now  as 
He  knew  their  viciousuess,  that  they  were  attempting  to  persuade 
the  people  He  was  not  observing  the  law,  that  He  would  do  what- 
ever He  chose  on  the  Sabbath  day, — and  no  doubt  one  of  the 
strongest  points  was  the  permission  He  gave  the  disciples  to  pluck 
the  corn  on  the  Sabbath  ;  in  connection  with  this,  they  insisted  that 
the  work  of  healing  on  the  Sabbath  was  a  gross  violation  of  the 
law.  Jesus  went  into  the  synagogue  as  usual,  followed  by  a  num- 
ber of  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  were  always  after  Him,  and 
while  there  He  saw  a  man  having  his  right  hand  withered.  Jesus 
found  it  opportune  to  put  a  stunning  question  to  these  false  pre- 
tenders, who  would  have  the  world  believe  that  they  were  strict 
conformists  to  the  law,  and  that  Jesus  was  one  of  the  chiefest  of 
sinners.  He  commanded  the  afflicted  man  to  stand  up,  that  all  the 
audience  might  see  his  condition  ;  the  man  immediately  did  so. 
Then,  when  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  and  saw  how  deplorable 
his  case  was,  and  no  doubt  all  who  looked  upon  him  greatly  sym- 
pathized except  the  heartless  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  having 
drawn  the  attention  of  the  sick  man.  He  asked  the  pretenders  if  it 
was  "  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  or  to  do  harm  ?  "  "  to 
save  life,  or  to  destroy  it?"  They  would  not  answer  the  questions, 
for  they  did  not  dare  to  say  it  was  not  lawful  to  do  good  on  that 
day,  and  they  also  knew  to  restore  a  palsied  arm  would  be  a  most 
benevolent  work ;  therefore  they  thought  it  more  to  their  iikerest 
to  say  nothing.  Jesus,  seeing  their  indisposition  to  be  honest  and 
manly,  gave  them  a  look  of  condemnation  that  must  have  touched 
the  very  quick  of  their  souls  and  filled  them  with  torturing  emo- 
tions ;  then  turned  to  the  paralytic  and  said,  "  Stretch  forth  thy 
hand ; "  he  immediately  did  so,  and  found  it  to  be  as  strong  as  the 
other.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  finding  themselves  in  another 
dilemma,  went  out  to  hold  a  council  against  Him  to  see  if  there 
was  not  sufficient  magnitude  in  the  procedure  of  our  Lord  in  the 
recent  case  of  healing  to  formulate  a  lawful  indictment  against 
Him.     What  gratitude  the  poor  man  naturally  entertained  for  the 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  417 

blessed  Christ !     It  is  probable  he  went  home  spreading  the  news 
and  praising  God  for  the  wonderful  blessing  he  had  received. 

The  increasing  labors  of  the  Master  pressed  Him  so  heavily 
about  this  time  (for  the  people  were  coming  to  Him  from  all  the 
countries),  that  He  withdrew  from  the  busy  scenes  for  a  while,  that 
He  might  choose  from  those  who  followed  Him  the  competent 
number  needed  to  be  His  apostles.  Before  making  the  final  selec- 
tion, our  Lord  went  into  the  mountains  and  engaged  all  night  in 
prayer.  When  the  morning  star  rose,  it  found  Him  in  the  same 
place  the  evening  star  left  Him ;  and  when  the  day-dawn  kissed  His 
holy  cheeks,  He  was  still  in  the  same  place  where  the  night  shades 
covered  Him.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  Master  was 
praying  for  direction  in  the  selection  of  twelve  men  who  were  to 
stand  before  the  world  as  its  lights.  It  was  a  momentous  time,  an 
occasion  that  should  impress  those  who  are  to  select  men  to  stand 
as  the  great  leaders  of  the  Christian  Church.  The  result  of  our 
Lord's  selection  comprised  the  following :  Simon  Peter,  Andrew, 
James,  John,  Philip,  Bartholomew,  Matthew,  Thomas,  James,  the 
son  of  Alpheus,  Simon,  which  was  called  the  Zealot,  Judas,  the  son 
of  James,  and  Judas  Iscariot. 

After  the  selection  of  these  men  our  Lord  solemnly  set  them 
apart  as  His  future  messengers.  Afterwards  He  preached  to  the 
people  who  followed  him  in  great  multitudes  from  Galilee,  Decapo- 
lis,  Jerusalem,  Judea,  from  beyond  the  Jordan,  and  from  Sidon 
and  Tyre,  who  were  possessed  with  div^ers  diseases,  and  He  healed 
them.  Jesus  ascended  the  mountain,  sat  and  taught  them.  The 
newly-chosen  apostles  stood  close  to  Him  listening  to  the  words  of 
power  the  Saviour  was  declaring.  He  gav^e  a  clear  exposition  of 
the  spirit  of  the  law,  which  had  been  so  grossly  corrupted  by  the 
Scribes,  Pharisees  and  rulers  of  the  land.  St.  Matthew  gives  a 
lengthy  statement  of  this  wonderful  sermon  which  should  be^read 
and  pondered  by  all  men.  The  traditional  mountain,  on  the  brow 
of  which  Jesus  delivered  this  exhaustive  sermon,  is  ab'out  seven 
miles  west  of  Tiberias  and  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  road  to  Cana. 
It  is  called  the  "  Horns  of  Hatten,"  from  the  two  ridges  resembling 
horns  or  arms  connecting  with  it.  It  is  remarkable  that  Moses 
gave  the  letter  of  the  law  from  Mt.  Sinai,  but  Christ  gave  its  spirit 
from  Mount  Hatten,  or  one  of  the  mountains  near  the  sea  of  Galilee. 
We  do  not  wonder  that  the  people  were  greatly  astonished  and 
said,  "  He  taught  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  a  scribe." 

When  Jesus  had  finished  teaching  the  multitude.  He  returned 
27 


418  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

to  Capernaum  followed  by  all  who  heard  His  words;  for  they  were 
not  weary,  notwithstanding  He  had  held  them  spell-bound  for  a 
long  time.  It  was  not  long  after  His  arrival  that  a  Roman  centu- 
rion stationed  there  sent  for  Him  to  come  and  heal  his  servant. 
To  make  the  request  impressive,  he  sent  a  delegation  of  Elders  to* 
recommend  him,  should  a  question  arise  as  to  the  propriety  of  enter- 
ing his  house.  He  had  done  several  favors  for  the  Jews ;  the  most 
commendable  of  them  was  building  a  synagogue  for  them  with  his 
own  money.  But  without  cavil  Jesus  started  at  once  to  heal  the 
sick  servant ;  and  as  He  was  approaching  the  house  the  Centurion 
seems  to  have  suddenly  felt  the  weight  of  his  unworthiness  to  have 
one  so  kind,  loving  and  holy  as  Jesus  come  into  his  house,  and  he 
at  once  sent  others  of  his  intimate  friends  to  apologize  to  the  blessed 
Christ,  and  tell  Him  not  to  come  because  the  man,  whose  house  He 
was  approaching,  felt,  after  a  careful  examination  of  himself,  un- 
worthy to  have  Him  come,  or  go  to  the  Master  in  person ;  therefore 
he  asked  through  the  messengers  that  Jesus  would  speak  the  word 
where  He  was,  and  his  servant  "shall  be  healed."  Our  Lord  com- 
mended the  man's  faith,  telling  those  following  "He  had  not  found 
such  faith  in  Israel."  He  then  informed  the  messengers  it  should 
be  as  they  had  believed ;  and  when  they  returned  to  the  house  they 
found  the  man  entirely  restored. 

We  next  hear  of  Jesus  over  at  Nain  restoring  the  widow's  son, 
as  has  been  mentioned  in  another  chapter.  We  find  our  Lord,  after 
this  first  miracle  of  resurrecting  the  dead,  taking  dinner  with 
Simon,  the  Pharisee,  at  Capernaum.  This  was  the  occasion  when 
Mary  Magdalene  came  in  and  anointed  His  feet  with  tears  and 
wiped  them  with  her  hair.  The  conduct  of  the  woman  astonished 
the  Pharisees ;  but  Jesus  put  them  again  to  silence.  He  made  a 
second  tour  through  Galilee  with  increasing  fame,  preaching  again 
in  the  cities  and  villages  to  multitudes  of  eager  hearers,  and  was 
attended  during  this  itinerancy  by  the  twelve  disciples,  Mary  Mag- 
dalene of  Magdala,  out  of  whom  He  had  casted  seven  devils,  Joanna, 
wife  of  Chuza,  Herod's  steward,  Susanna  and  many  others  who 
had  ministered  unto  Him.  The  people  thronged  Him  as  usual, 
but  He  slighted  none. 

It  is  generally  known  to  those  familiar  with  Bible  history,  that 
our  Lord  spent  the  most  of  His  life  in  Galilee ;  not  only  while  a 
quiet  citizen  in  Nazareth,  but  the  greater  part  of  His  busy  mis- 
sionary life  was  spent  in  that  province.  The  inhabitants  of  Galilee 
were  not  looked  upon  with  much  favor  by  those  of  the  southern 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  419 

district,  and  were  criticised  by  them  harshly.  There  were  many 
Gentiles  living  among  them  ;  they  were  therefore  looked  upon  as  a 
mixed  people  and  ignored  in  many  respects  by  the  more  secluded 
or  distinct  communities  of  Jews  over  in  Judea,  Yet  these  very 
people,  who  were  so  unpopular  among  their  fellows,  were  more 
susceptible  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus  than  those  who  looked  upon 
them  with  contempt.  Our  Lord  found  it  far  more  pleasant  to  be 
with  them  than  those  round  about  Jerusalem,  because  they  sought 
and  welcomed  Him  to  their  towns  and  cities.  He  always  addressed 
the  people  plainly  and  pointedly  without  being  liable  to  be  mobbed 
by  those  self-important  false  teachers,  w^ho  held  themselves  up  as 
lights  of  the  people. 

Galilee  was  the  most  favorable  district  for  our  Lord  to  prepare 
His  disciples  for  the  duties  they  were  to  discharge  when  they  should 
enter  upon  their  mission  after  His  departure  ;  for  a  work  so  full  of 
interest  to  the  world  could  not  be  successfully  accomplished  where 
exposure  to  numerous  assaults  were  common.  Therefore  He  chose 
Galilee  as  the  more  favorable  place  to  train  the  disciples  for  their 
soul-saving  work.  Again,  Galilee  was  better  adapted  for  the  mis- 
sion of  Christ  than  the  southern  province  for  the  reason  which  has 
been  stated;  the  people  in  that  far-oif  district  were  anxious  to  have 
-Him  with  them,  and  received  Him  with  enthusiasm.  But  in 
Judea,  the  Pharisees,  Rulers,  and  Elders  were  more  numerously 
seen  in  the  multitudes  ready  at  every  opportunity  to  incense  the 
people  against  Him.  But  it  is  noteworthy  that  most  of  the  mighty 
works  of  Jesus  were  performed  about  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  although 
Galilee  at  large  was  His  chosen  field  of  labor.  This  region  was 
made  the  centre;  from  here  He  made  visits  through  the  country, 
frequently  returning  to  Capernaum,  remaining  there  for  a  time, 
giving  the  needed  attention  to  those  who  came  seeking  His  aid, 
then  away  again  to  another  part  of  the  district. 

The  Sea  of  Tiberias  was  environed  by  towns  and  cities,  some 
being  very  important,  especially  Capernaum,  Chorazin,  Bethsaida, 
Tiberias,  Magdala,  Gadara,  and  Bethsaida  Julius.  These  were 
bordering  on  the  sea  or  near  it.  In  some  of  these  cities  many 
Gentiles  lived  ;  and  it  was  of  equal  importance  that  they  should 
have  the  benefit  of  our  Lord's  labors;  for  He  came  "  to  save  that 
which  was  lost."  There  were  other  advantages  that  made  this 
region  a  convenient  field  for  the  wonderful  works  of  Christ.  Many 
synagogues  were  located  in  these  cities  by  the  sea,  all  of  which  He 
labored  in  ;  this  naturally  required  a  long  time.     The  sea  was  to 


420  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

be  a  scene  of  several  of  His  stupendous  works  and  the  deserts 
were  chosen  as  the  tramping  ground  of  multitudes  of  hungry 
people,  who  followed  Him,  and  were  bountifully  fed.  The  country 
about  the  lake  was  very  favorable  for  His  labors,  because  the 
great  highway  to  Damascus  went  through  Capernaum,  and  to  the 
western  sea  from  Tiberias.  Through  these  roads  people  were  con- 
stantly traveling,  many  of  whom  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing 
His  works,  and  spread  the  news  among  the  people  where  they 
lived.  It  is  not  unnatural  that  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  should 
leave  Jerusalem  and  go  down  to  Galilee  in  pursuit  of  Christ,  for 
although  He  was  not  working  in  their  immediate  district,  such  was 
the  holy  intiuenee  exerted  by  Him,  the  dwellers  in  Jerusalem  and 
Judea  talked  of  the  greatness  of  His  labors  as  much  as  if  He  were 
at  the  time  in  their  midst.  The  merchants  from  Damascus  and  the 
cities  about  the  sea  brought  fresh  news  of  the  wonders  being  done 
daily,  as  they  came  to  Jerusalem.  It  seems  highly  probable  the 
people  asked  every  new-comer  where  Jesus  was,  that  they  might 
find  Him.  This  exasperated  the  Pharisees  so  greatly,  they  went 
down  to  use  their  influence  against  Him. 

One  of  th;3  most  touching  visits  our  Lord  received  was  that  of 
a  small  baud  of  friends,  who  came  from  Nazareth  with  His  mother 
and  brothers  to  take  him  home.  Reports  had  reached  Mary  at  her- 
home  that  Jesus  was  not  sane;  and  they,  fearing  it  might  be  so, 
came  to  plead  with  Him  to  return  with  them.  On  their  arrival  at 
the  house,  they  found  such  a  dense  crowd,  it  was  impossible  for 
them  to  get  to  the  door.  The  Pharisees,  who  had  come  down  from 
Jerusalem,  were  found  mingling  with  the  multitude  in  the  yard, 
charging  Jesus  with  black  art,  or  being  possessed  with  a  devil  and 
working  through  the  agency  of  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  devils. 
But  He  soon  put  them  to  silence,  as  He  always  did ;  that  their 
ignorance  might  be  exposed  to  ridicule.  He  showed  them  in  a  few 
words,  a  house  divided  against  itself  could  not  stand,  and  if  He 
cast  out  devils  through  the  agency  of  their  prince,  their  kingdom 
must  fall. 

About  this  time  some  one  informed  Him  of  the  desire  of  His 
mother  and  brothers  to  see  Him  ;  Jesus  took  the  occasion  just  then  to 
show  the  relation  which  those  who  are  the  children  of  God  sustain  to 
Him:  *'Who  is  my  mother  and  my  brethren?" — then,  looking 
upon  his  disciples,  said,  ''  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren,  for 
whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  my 
sister,  and  my  mother."     Our  Lord  did  not  allow  the  pleadings  of 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  421 

a  fond  mother  to  interfere  with  the  work  of  His  mission.  The 
people,  who  heard  the  teacliings  of  Jesus,  became  so  enraptured 
they  would  not  leave  Him,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the 
Pharisees,  who  were  using  the  greatest  exertions  to  have  them  look 
upon  Him  as  a  man  entirely  influenced  by  the  prince  of  devils. 
Poor,  stupid  fellows ;  how  keenly  they  must  have  felt  their  defeat 
when  they  saw  their  uttermost  endeavors  could  not  turn  the  people 
from  following  the  man  who,  day  by  day,  was  curtailing  the  sway 
they  had  so  loug  held  among  them  ! 

The  people  thronging  the  house  where  Jesus  stopped  at  Caper- 
naum, He  withdrew  to  the  sea-side,  and  taught  the  multitude  many 
things  in  parables.  This  was  a  change  from  the  mode  hitherto 
adopted.  He  had  been  refuting  in  word  and  deed  the  doctrines 
taught  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  ;  and  having  confounded  them, 
He  begins  to  teach  the  people  the  practical  side  of  His  mission,  that 
they  might  fully  comprehend  their  duty.  The  parable  of  the 
sower  must  have  been  strikingly  illustrated.  Not  far  from  the 
sea-shore,  where  He  was  addressing  the  multitude,  were  the  fruitful 
fields,  just  where  the  peojjle  could  look  upon  them  and  see  the 
stony  places,  the  thorn  bushes,  the  wayside  path,  and  the  good 
ground.  This  lesson  being  brought  before  them  with  a  glowing 
illustration  before  their  eyes,  must  have  been  most  impressive  ;  and 
if  it  happened  at  a  time  when  the  sower  was  scattering  the  seed, 
they  saw  he  was  laboring  just  as  hard  at  those  spots  that  were 
unyielding  as  on  the  good  soil.  This  would  have. illustrated  the 
efforts  of  their  Divine  Teacher,  who  at  that  time  was  working  just 
as  earnestly  to  save  the  poor,  stony  hearts  in  His  presence  as  those 
who  allowed  the  word  to  sink  deeply  in  them.  Surely  those  who 
were  husbandmen  clearly  understood  this  lesson. 

The  last  of  the  many  parables  Jesus  taught  at  this  gathering 
was  the  illustration  of  the  drag-net,  which  contained  all  kinds  of 
fish,  good  and  bad.  Our  Lord  at  this  time  was  in  a  small  fishing- 
boat,  having  many  fishermen  near  Him  who  had  experienced  the 
practical  side  of  the  parable ;  hence,  the  lesson  was  equally  as  im- 
pressive to  them  as  the  other  was  to  the  seed-sowers.  These 
teachings  must  have  carried  their  whole  weight  to  the  conscience 
of  the  amazed  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  had  begun  to  fall 
before  Him  as  Haman  fell  before  Mordecai.  The  physical  bearing 
of  this  little  plain  is  beautiful  when  contrasted  with  the  surround- 
ing country,  and  gives  a  lucid  illustration  of  the  parable  of  our 
Lord  concerning  the  sower.     Such  is  the  literal  development  and 


422  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

impressiveness  of  this  wonderful  lesson,  its  spiritual  bearing  is 
clear  to  the  most  ordinary  mind. 

This  wayside  is  trodden  by  hundreds  who  have  passed  over  it 
from  time  to  time.  These  are  what  we  would  call  near  cuts ;  those 
who  do  not  wish  to  follow  the  main  highway,  take  the  wayside  path 
to  save  time  and  labor.  They  are  sometimes  made  directly  through 
the  centre  of  a  field  of  wheat  or  barley.  ISuch  a  procedure  would 
be  regarded  as  a  lawless  act  in  our  country,  unless  consent  be  given 
by  the  owner;  but  in  Palestine  they  have  been  used  to  it  so  long 
people  regard  them  as  highways.  Many  of  these  wayside  roads  are 
much  better  for  man  and  beast  to  travel,  because  the  main  highways 
are  not  kept  in  traveling  condition  ;  in  certain  seasons  they  are  used 
in  preference.  These  paths  are  usually  plowed  every  year  by  the 
husbandmen,  but  their  direction  is  so  well  known  by  the  natives 
they  soon  beat  them  down.  It  is  often  the  case  while  he  is  plowing 
one  portion  or  sowing  the  seed,  the  other  portion  is  being  trodden 
by  passing  natives.  This  fact  we  experienced  soon  after  leaving 
Shiloh.  My  dragoman  wished  to  take  the  wayside  path  leading  to 
Lebonah,  it  being  much  nearer  than  the  main  road.  He  therefore 
started  for  the  familiar,  intersecting  path ;  on  reaching  it  we  found 
the  husbandman  ploMdng  through  it  in  connection  with  the  other 
portion  of  the  field.  But  the  dragoman  knew  where  the  wayside 
was,  and  went  along  just  as  if  he  had  not  been  interrupted. 

Some  of  these  waysides,  or  what  we  call  byways,  have  been 
used  from  the  time  of  our  Lord,  and  are  regarded  now  as  public 
thoroughfares;  hence,  the  husbandmen  offer  no  objections  to  the 
use  being  made  of  them,  notwithstanding  they  lay  through  the 
midst  of  fields  in  which  they  have  sowed  their  seed,  much  of  which 
falls  by  the  wayside  as  they  scatter  it  with  their  hands.  This  the 
fowls  of  the  air  are  more  likely  to  see  "  and  pluck  up,"  because  it 
is  glaringly  exposed  to  their  keen  eyes.  Birds  are  very  numerous 
in  Palestine  and  Syria,  and  are  generally  found  in  great  numbers 
in  newly-ploughed  fields  seeking  food.  They  appear  to  know 
about  the  time  the  grain  will  be  sown,  and  are  ready  at  the  first 
opportunity  to  get  a  good  portion  of  it,  especially  when  it  falls  by 
the  wayside.  The  "  stony  places  "  are  prevalent  and  conspicuous  ; 
in  the  plain  a  stranger  cannot  pass  them  unnoticed.  It  seems  very 
strange  to  those  who  live  in  countries  like  Europe  and  America 
where  large  tracts  of  farming  land  are  almost  stoneless,  to  see  how 
the  husbandmen  of  the  eastern  world  manage  to  cultivate  those 
fields  which   abound  with   rocks;  many   of  them   have  sheets  of 


NOTED  PLACES  AEOUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  423 

rock  extending  several  feet  above  the  surface,  some  just  on  a  level 
with  it,  and  others  about  an  inch  or  two  below.  These  are  so 
close  to  each  other  in  many  places  the  sower  unavoidably  casts  the 
seed  as  he  scatters  it  over  the  field  in  these  stony  places,  * '  where 
there  is  not  much  earth." 

While  looking  over  one  of  these  fields  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  scene  of  the  multitude,  on  the  day  our  Lord  addressed 
t^he  people  in  parables,  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  the  seed 
sown  "in  the  rocky  places"  was  the  more  prosperous;  it  had 
sprung  up  and  looked  beautiful  and  green,  while  that  sown  "  in 
good  ground  "  was  just  making  its  appearance.  I  could  see  then, 
as  never  before,  the  force  of  the  parable  of  the  sower.  The  mat- 
ter was  plain  that  the  seed,  looking  so  beautiful  and  green  here 
and  there  over  the  field,  had  but  little  depth  of  earth,  and  there- 
fore soon  came  up  and  would  be  blasted,  no  doubt,  as  soon  as  the 
sun  shone  upon  it  with  more  power ;  but  that  which  seemed  sparse 
and  unyielding,  had  taken  deep  root,  and  would  bring  joy  to  the 
heart  of  the  husbandman  in  the  time  of  harvest.  This  most  valu- 
able lesson  I  learned  along  the  plain  of  Gennesaret,  so  clearly 
unfolding  the  parable  of  the  "sower"  to  my  mind  will  never  be 
forgotten.  Those  of  the  multitude  who  had  a  practical  experi- 
ence of  these  teachings  must  have  felt  their  force  vividly  while  the 
blessed  Master  was  presenting  the  truth  so  distinctly. 

St.  Mark  says,  "  Our  Lord  went  on  the  same  evening  with  the 
disciples  to  the  other  side  of  the  sea."  This  was  the  night  the 
waters  of  the  little  lake  became  exceedingly  troubled,  and  great 
fear  filled  the  disciples,  so  that  they  went  to  Jesus  and  aroused 
Him  from  sleep  to  interpose  for  them.  Here  was  another  oppor- 
tunity for  Him  to  demonstrate  His  authority  over  nature  ;  He 
commanded  the  waters  to  be  still,  and  the  sea  instantly  obeyed  His 
voice.  When  the  country  of  the  Gergesenes  was  reached,  they  saw 
a  most  distressing  sight — a  poor  man  over  among  the  tombs, 
wholly  under  the  control  of  devils,  so  that  he  was  killing  himself 
by  degrees  without  knowing  v/hat  he  was  doing  ;  such  was  his 
madness,  nothing  could  hold  him,  strong  cords  with  which  he  was 
bound  being  broken  as  if  they  were  cotton  strings,  and  every  one 
feared  even  to  pass  along  that  way.  When  the  blessed  Christ  was 
approaching  him,  while  a  considerable  distance  off,  the  devils 
endeavored  to  practice  deception  on  Him,  as  if  they  could  mis- 
lead Him  to  the  extent  to  cause  Him  to  believe  the  man  was 
objecting   to  His   presence.      "  What  have  we  to  do  with   thee, 


424  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

Jesus,  thou  Son  of  the  Most  High  God  ?  art  Thou  come  hither  to 
torment  us  before  the  lime  ?  "  was  the  language  coming  from  the 
mouth  of  the  man,  but  not  from  his  heart,  for  it  was  the  senti- 
ment of  the  controlling  devils ;  He  knew  what  the  man  would  do 
if  he  could  have  the  liberty  to  exercise  his  own  will ;  therefore,  He 
said  to  the  demons,  "  Come  forth,  thou  unclean  spirit,  out  of  the 
man  ; "  at  this  command  the  devils  came,  and  on  being  asked  their 
name,  "Legion,"  was  the  answer,  "for  we  are  very  many."  He 
permitted  them  to  enter  a  herd  of  swine,  which  became  crazed  and 
were  choked  in  the  sea. 

The  poor  man  expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  unspeakable  good- 
ness of  Jesus  by  sitting  at  His  feet  clothed  in  his  right  mind.  But 
the  people  of  that  country  besought  Christ  to  leave  there.  This 
He  did  ;  and  when  He  reached  the  other  side,  Jairus,  a  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  met  Him  and  fell  at  His  feet,  praying  that  He  would 
heal  his  little  daughter,  who  was  at  the  point  of  death.  He  consented 
to  go  with  him,  and  while  on  the  way  a  poor  woman,  having  an 
issue  of  blood  twelve  years,  came  out  and  pressed  her  way  through 
the  throng,  touched  His  garments  and  was  restored  immediately. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  every  case  Jesus  handled  was  such  as 
proved  His  divinity.  The  man  over  in  Gadara  had  everything 
done  his  friends  had  a  knowledge  of  to  help  him  ;  but  nothing 
reached  his  case,  not  even  to  the  extent  of  keeping  him  from  doing 
personal  injuries.  They  gave  up  all  effort  to  further  assist  him  ; 
fearing  he  would  be  a  serious  pest  to  the  neighborhood,  they  let 
him  wander  about  among  the  tombs  where  Jesus  found  him.  The 
woman,  who  for  twelve  years  had  suffered  with  an  issue  of  blood, 
not  only  spent  all  her  means  to  procure  a  remedy,  but  had  baffled 
the  skill  of  the  most  distinguished  and  learned  physicians,  without 
success.  He  healed  her  without  looking  at  her ;  simply  by  the 
touch  of  faith.  The  daughter  of  Jairus  had  every  attention  that 
could  be  given,  and  every  remedy  applied  to  produce  restoration, 
but  nothing  could  be  done.  The  last  resort  was  Jesus.  The  dis- 
tracted father  came  and  fell  prostrate  at  His  feet,  overwhelmed  with 
grief,  praying  that  He  would  go  with  him  to  the  bedside  of  the 
child  and  heal  her.  But  lo,  a  messenger  came,  informing  the 
ruler  that  his  daughter  was  dead  ;  therefore  Jesus,  the  Great  Phy- 
sician, was  not  needed,  for  all  was  over.  But  He  continued  with 
Jairus,  and,  on  entering,  found  the  friends  in  tumultuous  lamenta- 
tion over  the  demise  of  the  child.  Jesus,  being  full  of  comforting 
words,  told  them  the  maid  was  not  dead,  but  they  did  not  believe 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  425 

Him.  They  even  scornfully  laughed  at  Him  ;  but  our  Lord  had 
been  doubted  and  laughed  to  scorn  so  often  that  He  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  the  scorners,  but  immediately  approached  the  bedside  of 
the  dead  child  and  restored  her  to  her  parents.  When  He  came 
down  from  the  ruler's  house  two  blind  men  appealed  to  Him,  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  multitude  He  gave  them  sight. 

Each  of  these  cases  was  such  that  all  the  skill  of  man  failed  to 
remedy,  so  that  not  one  could  say.  If  I  had  seen  these  afflicted 
ones,  the  same  restorations  would  have  been  made.  Jesus,  after 
these  things,  turned  His  steps  toward  Nazareth,  the  home  of  His 
childhood,  from  which  He  had  been  so  cruelly  forced  by  a  mur- 
derous crowd.  But  he  did  not  abandon  them  because  of  the  first 
rejection.  He  came  again  to  urge  the  people  to  accept  salvation. 
This  visit  was  as  fruitless  with  the  masses  as  that  when  they 
attempted  to  kill  Him.  It  would  seem  that  His  home-folks, 
having  heard  of  the  mighty  works  He  had  wrought  in  other  com- 
munities in  Galilee,  would  have  received  Him  joyfully.  For  they 
did  not  only  hear  of  His  works,  but  many  Nazarenes  had  witnessed 
them  ;  and  yet,  in  the  face  of  ocular  demonstration,  they  still 
insisted  that  Christ  was  a  blasphemer  and  unworthy  of  their  confi- 
dence. "  We  know  Him,"  they  said,  "  Joseph,  the  carpenter  of 
the  town,  is  His  father,  and  Mary,  a  woman  living  in  our  midst, 
is  His  mother  ;  we  also  know  His  brothers  and  sisters,  and  have 
known  Him  from  youth  up  ;  we  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  Him  ; 
let  others  follow  if  they  choose."  Jesus,  seeing  their  unbelief,  and 
the  extreme  hardness  of  their  hearts,  could  do  nothing  there  except 
lay  His  hands  on  a  few  sick  folks.  He  then  left  the  city  never  to 
visit  it  again  officially,  and  trav^eled  through  the  country,  the  peo- 
ple every  where  receiving  Him  with  great  joy.  This  seems  to  be 
his  second  tour  through  Galilee,  and  He  was  followed  by  tremen- 
dous multitudes  anxious  to  hear  Him. 

It  became  necessary,  because  of  the  increasing  greatness  of  the 
work,  to  send  forth  the  disciples  to  preach,  teach,  cast  out  devils,  and 
do  many  works  of  power.  The  instructions  they  had  received  from 
their  Lord  during  a  year  or  more  they  were  with  Him,  amply  fitted 
them  for  the  duties  assigned  them  as  apostles.  Having  qualified 
and  commissioned  them,  they  went  forth  in  His  name  doing  won- 
ders. They  were  sent  two  and  two,  each  couple  going  in  different 
directions,  as  the  Master  appointed  them,  which  seems  to  be  as  fol- 
lows :  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew  went  first;  James  and  John,  the 
two  sons  of  Zebedee,  came  next ;  then  Philip  and  Bartholomew 


426  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

went  out  in  another  direction  ;  Thomas  and  Matthew,  the  publi- 
can, were  associates ;  then  James,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  and  Thad- 
dens  were  sent ;  the  last  were  Simon,  the  Canaanite,  and 
Judas  Iscariot. 

These  men  went  forth  by  authority  of  their  commission,  taking 
nothing  to  provide  against  the  discomforts  of  their  journey,  but  a 
staff  in  hand.  Tiiey  were  commanded  to  take  neither  bread,  wallet 
nor  money.  They  began  their  mission  most  hopefully,  healing 
many  that  were  sick  of  divers  diseases  and  did  many  wonderful 
works.  After  they  had  been  away  from  their  Lord  for  a  time 
they  returned  to  Him,  who  had  come  again  to  Capernaum  to  re- 
port the  success  that  attended  their  mission.  Jesus  said  to  them, 
"  Come  ye  yourselves  apart  into  a  desert-place  and  rest  awhile." 
It  was  a  busy  time  with  Him  and  the  apostlts,  for  crowds  were 
thronging  them  so  that  they  had  no  chance  to  take  a  meal. 

They  were  soon  in  a  boat  with  Jesus,  sailing  for  the  other  shore ; 
but  the  multitudes  preceded  them,  and  ran  with  great  haste  to 
shore  where  the  boat  was  heading,  and  reached  there  before  Jesus 
and  the  Apostles,  for  when  the  boat  arrived  at  the  landing,  a  great 
multitude  awaited  them.  He  was  moved  with  compassion  on 
account  of  the  people,  and  began  teaching  them  immediately. 
"  When  the  day  was  far  spent,"  the  Apostles  desired  that  the  people 
should  be  dismissed,  that  they  might  go  out  and  get  some  food  for 
themselves.  But,  in  answer  to  the  question  of  our  Lord,  it  was 
found  that  the  disciples  had  "  five  loaves  and  two  fishes."  Then, 
by  command,  the  multitude  was  seated  on  the  grass  by  companies 
of  one  hundred,  and  fifties.  Then  Jesus  took  the  bread  and  fishes 
and  gave  them  a  wonderful  extension.  This  small  amount  of  food 
would  not  have  been,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  enough  for 
the  disciples  ;  but,  in  this  extraordinary  case,  five  thousand  men 
ate  and  were  filled,  after  which  they  took  up  twelve  basketsful  of 
the  pieces  left  from  the  meal. 

Jesus,  wishing  to  have  a  few  quiet  hours  to  commune  with  the 
Father  in  prayer,  ordered  the  disciples  to  enter  the  boat  and  return 
to  the  other  shore,  while  He  sent  the  people  away.  No  doubt 
everything  looked  favorable  to  them  :  the  sky  Mas  clear,  the  water 
placid,  and  the  breeze  coming  from  a  direction  to  make  them  hope- 
ful of  a  smooth  and  swift  passage  to  their  destination.  But  their 
prospects  were  soon  blighted,  for  the  wind  changed  in  an  opposite 
direction  and  was  blowing  furiously.  The  water  became  greatly 
troubled,  so  that  one  high  wave  after  another  lashed  the  little  craft 


XOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  427 

and  swept  over  it.  The  sails  were  useless,  and  the  oars  were  incom- 
petent to  make  headway.  The  scene  became  alarming  ;  the  Master 
had  commanded  them  to  go  to  the  other  shore  ;  therefore  they  must 
not  go  back  to  the  desert  where  they  left  Him,  but  bend  to  their  oars 
with  their  greatest  strength  to  carry  out  the  order.  Their  whole 
journey  from  the  shore  was  but  four  miles  and  a  half,  and  although 
the  disciples  started  about  dusk  (St.  Mark  vi.  30-32),  they  were 
found,  just  before  daybreak  the  next  morning,  but  a  little  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  lake,  or  about  three  miles  from  their  destination. 

He,  having  finished  the  private  interview  with  the  Father,  came 
down  from  the  mountain  to  assist  the  distressed  disciples,  for  it 
was  a  momentous  time  with  them.  Just  when  their  trouble  was 
greatest,  and  despair  was  making  a  telling  impression  upon  them, 
Jesus  walked  out  to  them.  The  appearance  of  a  human  form  on 
the  sea  amid  such  an  overpowering  storm,  struck  them  with  dread- 
ful alarm,  for  they  supposed  a  spirit  had  come  as  a  signal  of  their 
speedy  calamity.  This  troubled  them  more  than  the  horror  of  the 
sweeping  storm.  Jesus  said  to  them,  "  Be  of  good  cheer ;  it  is  I." 
Then  all  hearts  were  light.  Peter,  having  received  permission 
from  his  Lord,  leaped  iuto  the  water  to  walk  to  Him ;  he  soon 
began  to  sink.  On  this  account  he  made  one  of  the  most  earnest 
and  pathetic  prayers  of  his  life.  "  Lord,  save  ;  I  perish,"  was  the 
short  but  earnest  petition.  The  blessed  Saviour  saved  him,  and 
both  of  them  entered  the  tempest-tossed  vessel,  and  soon  all  were 
safe  on  the  other  shore  at  Bethsaida.  He  had  reached  the  landing; 
but  a  short  time,  before  the  news  of  His  arrival  spread,  and  the 
people  who  had  sought  Him,  brought  their  sick  on  beds  and  other- 
wise that  they  might  be  healed. 

The  people  in  other  cities  and  villages  came  in  multitudes,  and 
finding  neither  Jesus  nor  the  disciples  at  the  place  where  the 
miracle  of  feeding  the  five  thousand  occurred,  they  came  over  to 
Capernaum  ;  and,  when  they  found  Him,  said  :  '*  Rabbi,  when 
camest  thou  hither  ? "  This  opened  the  way  for  our  Lord  to 
preach  another  most  memorable  sermon.  He  told  them  it  was  not 
because  they  saw  signs  leading  them  to  believe  in  His  Messiahship 
they  were  stimulated  to  seek  Him  ;  not  that  the  words  He  had 
spoken  and  the  miracles  wrought  by  Him  had  caused  them  to 
hunger  after  righteousness,  but  because  He  fed  them  the  day  before 
in  the  desert  to  their  full  satisfaction.  Jesus  then  preached  a  most 
pungent  sermon  on  the  ''  bread  of  life."  There  were  great  objec- 
tions to  His  remarks,  so  much  so  that  a  general  murmuring  was 


428  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

indulged  in  by  the  Jews ;  several  of  the  disciples  (not  the  chosen) 
became  offended  and  refused  to  follow  Hira.  (St.  Mark  vi. 
44-56.) 

This  seems  to  be  the  time  several  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had 
come  down  from  Jerusalem,  charging  that  the  discij)les  transgressed 
the  traditions  of  the  Elders.  Jesus  in  answering  them  showed 
they  were  not  only  guilty  of  violating  traditions,  but  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  He  then  called  the  multitude  and  taught 
them  what  defiled  a  man,  and  proved  the  fallacy  of  the  doctrines 
taught  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 

After  these  things  our  Lord  went  from  Capernaum  through 
Galilee,  and  continued  His  visit  as  far  as  Sidon  and  Tyre  in  Phoe- 
nicia. It  is  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  most  learned  authors  that 
Jesus  went  there  to  conceal  Himself  from  Herod,  who  had  put 
John  the  Baptist  to  death.  But  it  seems  highly  probable  He  went 
there  especially  to  administer  to  that  heathen  Canaanitish  people 
the  "  bread  of  life."  He  knew  there  were  people  along  the  route 
and  in  that  country  waiting  for  the  glad  tidings.  They  followed 
the  God-man  from  village  and  city  unto  the  cities  of  the  coast;  but 
He  had  not  been  there  but  a  short  while  when  a  woman  of  Canaan, 
a  Syrophoenician,  came  imploring  Him  to  help  her  poor  demon- 
possessed  daughter.  Jesus  told  her  "  it  was  not  meet  to  take  the 
children's  bread  and  give  it  to  the  dogs."  But  her  answer  was  so 
remarkably  touching,  He  commended  her  faith  and  expelled  the 
evil  spirit  from  her  child. 

Jesus  left  the  border  of  Tyre  and  went  about  twenty  miles 
further  north  to  Sidon,  then  made  a  long  circuit  through  Galilee  to 
the  district  of  Decapolis.  This  is  the  country  in  which  He  was 
rejected  by  multitudes  of  citizens,  when  He  expelled  the  legion 
from  the  man  who  was  out  among  the  tombs.  The  conduct  of  the 
people  towards  Jesus  had  entirely  changed,  for  they  sought  Him. 
One  of  their  highly  respected  friends  was  deaf  and  had  an  impedi- 
ment in  his  speech  ;  they  petitioned  our  Lord  that  He  would  heal 
the  man.  This  He  readily  complied  with,  and  he  was  restored. 
There  were  tremendous  throngs  following  Him,  and  again  He  fed 
them  with  seven  loaves  and  a  few  fishes.  On  this  occasion  four 
thousand  men  were  fed,  besides  women  and  children ;  and  after 
all  were  filled,  seven  basketsful  of  pieces  were  left.  Jesus  then 
crossed  the  sea  with  the  disciples  and  went  to  Magdala,  on  the 
northwest  shore,  the  home  of  Mary,  out  of  whom  He  had  cast  seven 
devils.     This  seems  to  have  been  the  first  visit  He  made  here. 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  429 

although  He  liacl  beeu   in  the  neighborhood  several  times.     The 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  met  Him  again,  but  received  a  stern  rebuke. 

Our  Lord  then  embarked  and  went  up  to  the  head  of  the  sea  to 
Bethsaida  Julias  on  the  northeast.  Here  a  throng  of  people  met 
Him,  among  whom  was  a  blind  man  they  brought  to  Him  to  be 
given  sight.  Jesus  took  the  man  from  the  crowd  to  the  outskirts 
of  the  village,  anointed  his  eyes  and  the  man  received  sight.  He 
then  proceeded  northward  to  Csesarea  Philippi,  where  He  informed 
the  disciples  concerning  His  death,  and  received  through  Peter 
their  faith  as  to  who  He  was,  and  impressed  them  with  the  import- 
ance of  their  mission,  instructing  them  it  should  be  more  dear  than 
their  life.  This  was' but  a  short  time  before  the  marvelous  trans- 
figuration. AVhen  He  came  down  from  the  mountain  He  restored 
a  lad  to  health  who  was  severely  controlled  by  an  evil  spirit  that 
had  battled  the  faith  of  the  disciples;  then  He  went  over  to  Caper- 
naum, and  sent  seventy  disciples  out  to  prepare  the  way*  before 
Him  towards  Jerusalem,  whither  He  was  about  to  go  (St.  Mark 
viii.  22;  ix.  1-38;  St.  Matt.  xv.  21-28;  xvi.  1-4;  xvii.  14;  St. 
Luke  X.  1-16). 

One  of  the  most  wonderful  mountains  in  Syria  is  Hermon. 
Tho.se  approaching  it  from  the  east  see  its  snow-clad  summit  plainly 
as  soon  as  they  enter  the  southern  border  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon, 
and  it  continues  visible,  except  at  short  intervals,  for  at  lea.st  forty 
miles.  Those  who  have  had  the  courage  to  ascend  the  old  tower  of 
the  forty  martyrs  at  Ramleh  could  see  Hermon's  snowy  cap,  look- 
ing like  a  small  white  cloud  hovering  over  the  northern  sky.  Ii 
can  be  seen  also  from  an  elevation  near  the  Dead  Sea  along  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  but  from  both  of  the.se  remote  points  a  clear 
day  is  necessary  for  the  view,  Hermon  marked  the  boundary  of 
the  most  northern  extension  of  the  territory  of  the  Lsraelites,  and 
is  known  as  the  Sheikh  mountain  of  Syria.  There  are  three 
prominent  peaks  connected  with  this  mountain  ;  of  these  the  one 
on  the  north  is  the  highest ;  the  southern  cap  comes  next  in  height; 
the  one  on  the  west  is  the  lowest.  When  the  author  was  in  its 
neighborhood,  it  was  too  cold  to  attempt  to  ascend  this  stupendous 
mountain  ;  in  fact,  it  was  impossible  to  do  so,  on  account  of  the 
deep  snows  which  completely  blocked  the  road  ;  it  was  impossible 
for  either  camels  or  horses  to  pass.  Therefore,  that  we  might 
reach  Damascus,  our  final  destination  in  Syria,  w-e  were  compelled 
to  return  to  Nazareth  and  go  by  the  way  of  Mount  Carmel,  Haifa, 
Acre,  Tyre  and  Sidon,  which  required  three  days   longer  to  make 


430  THE   LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

the  journey  ;  this  would  not  have  been    necessary  if  the  snow  had 
not  prevented  us  from  continuing  along  the  base  of  Hernion. 

The  most  favorable  months  to  ascend  this  mountain  are  June, 
July,  August  and  September.  Herraon  is  not  the  highest  moun- 
tain in  Syria,  notwithstanding  it  would  seem  so  from  the  presence 
of  snow  almost  the  year  round,  because  of  its  being  so  far  north. 
Its  highest  peak  is  estimated  to  be  nine  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  whereas  the  highest  point  of  Leba- 
non is  eleven  thousand — nearly  two  thousand  feet  higher.  Snow 
seldom  appears  on  the  latter  after  the  extreme  hot  weather  sets  in. 
Lebanon  is  the  most  conspicuous  mountain  range  in  Palestine  or 
Syria,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  historic  in  the  world.  The 
southern  cap  of  Hermon  is  supposed  to  mark  the  site  of  one  of 
the  high  places  where  the  worship  of  Baal  was  conducted  during 
the  reign  of  Ahab.  One  of  these  peaks  is  supposed  by  some 
authors  to  be  identical  with  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  transfiguration. 
But,  as  has  been  stated,  we  incline  to  Mount  Tabor,  as  the  site  of 
this  wondrous  event.  But  this  is  a  thing  not  known  to  man,  and 
must  remain  a  mystery  forever.  The  opinion  favoring  Hermon 
seems  to  be  based  upon  the  fact  that  Jesus  was  in  that  region  about 
eight  days  prior  to  the  event.  This  we  know  to  be  true  ;  but  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  at  Csesarea  Philippi  at  that  time  is  not  suffi- 
cient proof  to  settle  upon  Hermon  as  the  scene  of  the  transfigura- 
tion. Herod  caused  a  temple  to  be  built  at  Ciesarea,  in  honor  of 
Caesar  Augustus,  and  changed  the  name  from  Paneas  (the  name 
given  it  by  the  Greeks  in  honor  of  the  god  Pan,  to  whom  they 
built  a  shrine  here)  to  Csesarea.  But  after  Philip  became  tetrarch 
of  the  district,  he  added  Philippi  to  it,  so  as  to  distinguisii  it  from 
the  Caesarea  on  the  Mediterranean  coast.  This  seems  to  have 
been  the  fartlfest  northward  our  Lord  traveled. 

The  time  having  come  for  Jesus  to  go  up  to  the  feast  at  Jeru- 
salem, He  returned  to  Capernaum  for  the  last  time,  without  money 
enough  to  pay  the  lawful  tax,  and  the  disciples  were  in  the  same 
impoverished  state.  This  duty  had  been  levied  by  the  Roman 
government,  and  was  greatly  opposed  by  the  Jews,  who  had,  on 
many  occasions,  made  known  their  opposition  to  it.  The  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  were,  it  seems,  constantly  agitating  the  people  in 
opposition  to  tiie  payment  of  the  tax,  yet  they  were  unable  to  release 
them.  Jesus  had  not  decided  that  the  duty  imposed  was  legal, 
although  He  was  asked  at  one  time  to  give  His  opinion  concerning 
it,  when  the  Sadducees  and  Herodians  came  to  Him  with  the  penny 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERTAS.  431 

on  which  was  the  image  of  Ciesar.  But,  on  this  occasion,  Jesus 
agreed  with  Peter  that  the  claim  was  not  Just,  but  that  they  miglit 
not  be  considered  offenders,  He  agreed  to  pay  it,  and  told  Peter  to 
go  to  the  sea,  and  the  first  fish  he  should  catch,  open  its  mouth  and 
he  would  find  a  piece  of  money,  with  which  he  should  pay  their 
tax.  After  this,  He  set  out  for  Jerusalem,  where  He  must  meet 
the  demand  of  justice,  and  reconcile  the  Creator  to  the  creature.' 
This  had  to  come  when  the  most  eventful  life  ever  spent  was  about 
to  close. 

There  is  no  place  north  of  Jerusalem  of  more  interest  to  the 
Christian  traveler  than  the  Sea  of  Tiberias  and  its  environment. 
Here  our  Lord  spent  much  time  during  His  public  ministry.  This 
small  body  of  water  is  nearly  surrounded  by  mountamous  eleva- 
tions, so  that  from  almost  every  quarter  a  beautiful  view  can  be 
gotten  of  the  lake  and  country  round  about.  Those  going  down 
to  Tiberias  from  Nazareth  via  Cana,  have  a  most  delightful  view, 
from  the  summit  just  east  of  Mount  Hatten.  The  beautiful 
expanse  of  water  appearing  from  the  distance,  like  an  extensive 
sheet  of  glass,  is  spread  out  fourteen  hundred  feet  below  the  summit 
from  which  the  first  glimpse  of  it  is  obtained  ;  from  this  point,  the 
whole  of  the  northern  and  central  portions  are  visible.  One  has  a 
most  touching  impression  while  looking  upon  the  lake  the  first 
time ;  many  incidents  connected  with  the  life  of  Christ  naturally 
tiood  one's  mind,  and  if  he  is  a  Christian,  a  fervent  expression  of 
thankfulness  will  fill  his  heart. 

The  country  round  about  the  sea  is  the  theatre  of  many  of  our 
Lord's  miraculous  works.  Teeming  multitudes  made  the  shores 
and  wilderness  ring  with  their  shouts  of  praise  to  the  King  of 
kings,  and  hundreds  who  were  brought  to  Him  here,  burdened 
with  deadly  diseases,  went  to  their  homes  nimble  as  young  lambs. 
Here  the  Pharisees,  Scribes,  and  Elders  came  with  vengeance  in 
their  hearts,  bent  on  influencing  the  people  against  the  Son  of  God, 
and  if  possible,  to  turn  a  flood  of  indignation  against  Him.  Just  over 
there  is  Bethsaida,  and  beyond  it  the  site  of  ancient  Capernaum ; 
at  the  same  point  between  the  two  cities  our  Lord  called  Peter  and 
others  from  their  nets  to  learn  from  Him  how  to  catch  men. 
These  poor  men,  unlearned  and  possessing  but  little  of  the  goods  of 
the  world,  were  called  to  be  the  first  ministers  of  the  new  dispensa- 
tion ;  men  whose  experience  of  trials  and  hardships  fitted  them  to 
endure  the  various  physical  encumbrances  they  would  necessarily 
meet  with  in  attending  to  the  work  of  their  mission. 


432  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

The  Sea  of  Galilee  is  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  all  others  in 
the  world.  This  eminent  distinction  is  given  it  because  of  the 
frequent  presence  of  our  Lord  about  its  shores,  and  crossing  from 
side  to  side  when  visiting  the  cities  round  about  it.  Those  who 
have  read  of  the  labors  of  Jesus  in  Galilee  know  He  was  often  seen 
on  the  shores  of  the  sea  surrounded  by  great  muUitudes  who  came 
from  variou.«5  parts  to  see  Him,  and  have  the  opportunity  of  witness- 
ing some  of  the  mighty  works  for  which  He  had  become  so  dis- 
tinguished. This  lake  is  estimated  to  be  thirteen  miles  long  from 
the  northern  to  its  southern  terminus ;  its  widest  portion  is  six  and 
a  half  miles,  and  its  deepest  portions  range  from  one  hundred  to  a 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet.  The  water  is  beautiful,  transparent 
and  excellent  to  the  taste.  All  the  inhabitants  round  about  its 
border  get  their  water  supply  from  it.  As  in  the  time  of  Peter, 
James,  and  Andrew,  this  little  body  of  Mate;-  furnished  a  living 
for  many  fishermen ;  so  it  does  at  present ;  every  hour  in  the  day 
when  the  weather  permits,  men  can  be  seen  along  the  Bethsaida 
shore  with  their  nets  fishing. 

While  stopping  at  the  little  hotel  in  Tiberias,  I  ordered  a  fish 
supper  for  the  sake  of  eating  some  caught  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
which  was  a  delicious  luxury  to  me.  The  fishermen  seem  to  be 
fearful  of  leaving  the  shore  to  catch  the  great  swarms  that  are  to 
be  seen  out  in  the  deep. 

One  can  imagine  Peter's  position  when  Jesus  bade  him  "  go  out 
into  the  deep  and  prepare  for  the  great  draught,"  on  the  occasion 
when  he  had  been  lingering  about  the  shore  so  long  making  a  fruit- 
less effort  to  catch  them.  Indeed  it  seems  to  have  been  the  custom 
from  the  early  times  not  to  go  far  from  the  shore ;  for  when  our 
Lord  was  passing  and  called  the  sons  of  Zebedee  to  leave  their  nets 
and  follow  Him,  they  were  so  near  the  shore  His  voice  could  be 
distinctly  heard  in  an  ordinary  tone.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
this  custom  was  observed  because  of  the  sudden  storms  that  sweep 
over  the  sea  which  would  damage  the  little  vessels,  and  many  times 
prove  fatal  to  life  were  the  fishermen  caught  in  them  ;  hence  the 
caution.  The  same  custom  is  adhered  to  now  ;  the  boatmen  will 
not  venture  from  the  shore  during  a  storm.  It  seems  as  though 
the  fish  take  advantage  of  the  timidity  of  their  pursuers,  and  the 
hosts  of  them  are  generally  to  be  seen  out  in  the  deep. 

While  passing  from  Capernaum  to  Tiberias  we  saw  multitudes 
of  fine  fish  out  in  the  middle  of  the  sea,  sporting  and  jumping  as 
if  they  were  laughing  to  scorn  the  power  of  the  men   who  were 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  8EA  OF  TIBERIAS.  433 

lino;erinsr  close  to  the  shore  near  the  site  of  ancient  Bethsaida.  It 
is  trne  there  were  many  shoals  of  smaller  fish  near  the  shore,  but 
they  were  not  the  kind  mostly  desired  by  the  fishermen.  While 
looking  at  a  man  preparing  his  net,  opposite  Bethsaida,  I  remarked 
to  one  of  our  company  that  that  man  may  be  just  about  the  spot 
Peter  was  when  our  Lord  advised  him  to  "  launch  out  into  the 
deep  and  prepare  for  the  draught."  It  may  be  of  interest  to  many 
to  read  a  brief  description  of  the  situation  of  the  sea.  It  is  located 
in  a  surprisingly  deep  depression,  nearly  surrounded  by  mountains; 
some  are  a  little  remote  from  it,  while  others  are  so  close  that  no 
margin  is  left  to  walk  between  them  and  the  water,  and  at  the 
southern  end  they  do  not  appear  at  all. 

It  is  thought,  at  some  period  in  the  past,  mountains  were 
prominent  on  the  south,  but  became  extinct  by  powerful  volcanic 
actions.  The  mountains  on  the  east  seem  to  have  corresponding 
altitude  along  the  entire  border,  while  those  on  the  west  are  much 
broken  by  intervening  depressions ;  and  yet  these  do  not  come 
down  so  abruptly  upon  the  margin  of  the  sea  as  those  on  the 
southern  side. 

Here,  there  is  a  wide  space  forming  a  shore  between  them  and 
the  lake,  on  the  margin  of  which  the  renowned  city  of  Tiberias  is 
located.  On  the  north  the  mountains  assume  the  form  of  a  semi- 
circle, and  are  farther  distant  from  the  w^ater  than  any  of  the 
neighboring  hills  round  about ;  and  here  Gennesaret  is  spread  out. 
It  is  called  by  the  natives  "  el  Ghuweir,"  meaning  little  Ghar.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  on  the  north  border  of  the  plain,  are  a  number 
of  ruins.  Many  of  those  who  have  made  examinations  of  this 
region,  locate  Capernaum  here;  but  later  and  perhaps  more  scrutinize 
ing  examinations  have  rendered  this  opinion  unpopular.  There 
are  many  fruitful  trees  in  the  plain  of  Gennesaret.  The  whole  of 
this  district  is  well  watered,  which  alone  makes  it  much  more 
desirable  than  any  other  tract  of  land  in  the  region,  and  it  has 
been  looked  upon,  from  olden  times  to  the  present,  as  a  paradise. 

This  section  of  country  has  been  visited  with  volcanic  dis- 
turbances, remnants  of  which  are  yet  to  be  seen.  The  stones 
near  the  shore  are  cemented  to  shells  towards  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  lake,  which  indicate  the  presence  of  the  alarming 
earthquakes  that  repeatedly  visited  this  region.  There  are  also 
springs  called  Hammam,  or  hot  baths,  situated  near  the  southern 
extremity  of  a  small  plain.  There  are  four  of  them,  one  under 
the  old  ruins  of  a  building,  the  other  three  being  a  little  farther 
28 


434  THE   LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

south.  The  water  issuing  from  the  springs  is  very  salt  and  bit- 
ter, constantly  emitting  a  strong  sulphurous  odor.  These  springs 
are  highly  valuable  in  curing  rheumatism,  and  those  afflicted  with 
it  endeavor  to  bathe  at  the  boiling  springs  on  the  southern  shore  of 
Lake  Gennesaret.  The  depth  of  the  lake  below  the  surrounding 
country  is  the  cause  of  the  extraordinary  heat  that  prevails  around 
its  shores,  and  is  said  to  be  the  reason  also  of  the  sudden  high  winds 
and  storms  so  frequently  witnessed  on  it. 

It  happens  many  times,  that  travelers  experience  great  disap- 
pointment who  go  down  to  Tiberias,  especially  to  have  the  inex- 
pressible pleasure  of  crossing  over  to  Capernaum,  the  Bethsaidas, 
Magdala,  and  Gadara,  because  they  are  prevented  from  doing  so 
on  account  of  prevailing  storms ;  they  come,  many  times,  so  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly  that  the  oldest  inhabitants  cannot  foretell 
their  approach.  At  times  they  continue  two  or  three  days ;  then 
again,  they  are  over  in  a  few  moments.  When  the  wind  comes  up 
steadily  and  increasing  in  force  from  the  southwest,  entering  the 
Jordan  valley,  it  sweeps  violently  along  the  whole  length  to  its 
mouth  on  the  north.  But  when  the  weather  is  calm,  it  is  a  most 
delightful  gratification  to  have  the  privilege  of  sailing  upon  this 
little  sea,  to  the  various  places  about  its  borders,  and  think  of  the 
wondrous  scenes  that  transpired  here  by  our  Lord,  when  the  vast 
multitudes  followed  Him  from  hill  to  hill  and  around  the  shores, 
seeking  His  mercy. 

Travelers  often  go  around  the  seashore  to.  Capernaum  and 
other  places  on  horses,  when  it  is  too  stormy  on  the  lake,  but  not 
with  much  comfort.  This  little  body  of  water  is  often  referred  to 
in  the  Bible  under  different  names.  It  is  known  in  the  ancient 
Scriptures  as  the  sea  of  Chinnereth,  and  it  is  supposed,  a  town  was 
located  on  or  near  the  shore  from  which  the  sea's  name  was  taken. 
In  our  era  its  name  was  changed  to  Tiberias,  after  the  city  which 
was  founded  on  its  southwestern  border ;  it  is  also  known  as  Lake 
Gennesaret,  after  the  beautiful  plain  on  its  northwestern  border, 
and  is  familiarly  known  as  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  the  name  of  the 
district  in  which  it  is  embraced.  The  latter  is  a  Gentile  name,  and 
the  sea  is  commonly  called  by  this  rather  than  the  other. 

The  Old  Testament  associations  with  this  lake  are  but  few  ;  it 
is  specially  mentioned  in  designating  the  portions  allotted  to  Zebu- 
lun  and  Naphtali,  but  the  references  to  it  in  the  New  Testament 
are  many.  The  western  shores  and  border-land  of  the  sea  must 
have   been  the  most  important  as  well  as  the  most   business-like 


KOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  435 

portion  of  the  whole  province  of  Galilee.  The  most  of  the  large 
cities  and  towns  were  round  about  it,  and  the  people  from  the 
various  parts  of  the  country  came  to  transact  business  and  for 
other  causes.  Trains  of  camels  and  donkeys,  heavily  ladened 
with  rich  merchandise  from  Egypt,  Jerusalem,  and  Damascus, 
came  this  way,  and  a  mixture  of  races  inhabited  Galilee  at  the 
time  our  Lord  opened  up  a  travel  through  these  parts,  especially 
for  a  variety  of  people  not  of  the  Jewish  family. 

Tiberias,  on  the  southwest  shore,  is  supposed  to  have  contained 
a  larger  Gentile  population  than  any  other  city  in  Galilee.  It  was 
founded  by  Herod  Antipas,and  was  made  the  capital  of  the  province. 
This  city  is  not  specially  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures  as  such  ; 
St.  John,  in  speaking  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  mentioned  its  name 
by  way  of  reference.  It  was  not  founded  until  the  twentieth  year 
of  our  era,  and  there  is  no  record  of  our  Lord  having  ever  visited 
it  during  His  ministry.  Tiberias  soon  became  the  chief  city  of  the 
Galilean  province,  and  was  beautified  with  many  handsome  build- 
ings, among  which  were  the  royal  palace  and  the  amphitheatre. 
Tamud  says,  "  The  site  of  Tiberias  was  formerly  occupied  by  a 
city  called  Rakkah."  It  became  the  seat  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and 
the  chief  city  of  Jewish  literature  after  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  It 
is  now  looked  upon  by  the  Jews  as  a  sacred  city,  and  they  rever- 
ence it  as  such.  Many  of  their  most  learned  rabbis  lived,  taught 
and  died  here,  and  many  prominent  tombs  are  seen, which  are  sup- 
posed to  be  their  silent  homes. 

The  present  population  is  something  over  six  thousand,  of  whom 
two-thirds  are  Jews,  three  hundred  are  Christians,  and  the  re- 
mainder Mohammedans.  The  Free  Church  of  Scotland  has  a 
mission  here,  seemingly  in  a  flourishing  state.  There  is  not  a  radical 
numerical  change  manifest,  but  those  who  do  come  from  under  the 
heavy  yoke  of  Judaism  or  Mohammedanism,  seem  to  be  staunch 
for  the  cause  of  Christ.  The  present  town  is  small,  partially  sur- 
rounded by  walls,  very  low  and  very  weak.  This  renowned  city, 
like  all  others  of  fame  and  high  distinction  in  Palestine,  has 
suffered  greatly  on  account  of  wars  and  other  calamities.  Under 
Constantine's  administration  it  was  set  apart  as  the  Episcopal  See ; 
many  Christians  settled  here  and  built  several  churches,  in  which 
the  services  of  God  were  conducted  enthusiastically.  Justinian 
rebuilt  the  walls,  which  had  been  demolished,  and  for  a  time  the 
city  prospered  religiously  and  otherwise.  But  the  Persians,  under 
the  generalship  of  Khosrus,  or  Khosroes,  captured  the  city  about 


436  •  THE  LAXD  OF  PROMLSE. 

the  year  six  hundered  and  fourteen,  and  in  twenty-three  years  after- 
wards it  was  taken  from  them  by  the  Arabs,  Moslems,  under  the 
leadership  of  Omar.  At  the  time  of  the  Crusade  conquest  Tan- 
cred  captured  it,  and  renewed  the  bishopric.  But  this  victory  was 
not  permanent,  although  it  may  have  seemed  so  for  a  while.  The 
indefatigable  Moslems  came  up  more  powerful  than  ever  under  the 
victorious  Saladin,  and  swept  everything  before  them.  Tiberias 
and  all  Palestine  was  forced  to  surrender  to  them.  The  battlefield 
where  the  great  victory  was  won  is  called  "  The  Horns  of  Hattin." 
There  are  a  few  remnants  of  the  ancient  city  yet  remaining  in  the 
southern  portions  of  the  present  town,  which  largely  consist  of  old 
foundations  and  ruins  of  the  original  walls.  There  is  a  small 
space  of  old  Mosaic,  still  in  a  mediumly  good  state  of  preservation, 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  the  gorgeous  palace  of  Herod  stood. 
These  are  about  the  only  remnants  of  ancient  relics  to  be  seen. 

The  Jews  of  Tiberias,  are  generally  recognized  on  sight,  by  their 
odd  appearance  from  the  other  people  of  the  town.  Many  of  them 
wear  high,  black  hats,  wholly  rimless,  and  sloping  towards  the 
top;  they  also  have  long  hair,  hanging  in  ringlets  about  their  shoul- 
ders. They  generally  look  pale  and  despondent.  Some  of  them 
are  conducting  a  small  business  about  the  bazaar  and  the  most 
prominent  thoroughfares;  but  the  greater  number  of  them  have  the 
reputation  of  being  paupers.  It  is  with  much  difficulty  that  those 
who  made  investigations  have  agreed  as  to  the  identity  of  some  of 
the  sites ;  but  there  seems  to  be  no  disagreement  as  to  the  site  of 
Tiberias. 

About  three  and  a  Iralf  miles  from  this  town,  on  the  northwest- 
ern shore,  is  a  very  uninviting  little  town  known  as  Mejdel,  and 
the  only  inhabited  place  in  the  plain  of  Gennesaret.  It  only  con- 
tains about  twenty  or  thirty  huts  and  the  ruins  of  a  tower.  But 
the  site  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  about  the  sea.  The  distin- 
guished Magdala,  the  birth-place  and  home  of  Mary  Magdalene,  was 
located  on  this  ground  now  occupied  by  a  few  miserable  huts.  Our 
Lord  made  a  short  visit  here.  The  best  time  to  make  a  start  to  visit 
these  ancient  sites  is  in  the  morning  early,  as  they  are  several  miles 
apart.  It  will  require  a  day  to  see  some  of  them  properly.  It 
seems  that  all  visitors  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee  are  enthused  with  the 
same  spirit  when  they  arrive  at  Tiberias ;  that  is,  to  make  a  visit  to 
Capernaum  first  of  all. 

The  present  Capernaum  has  been  settled  upon  as  the  identical 
site  of  the  flourishing  ancient  city  that,  until   Tiberias  rose   into 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  437 

fame,  was  the  capital  of  Galilee.  It  was  the  most  flourishing  of  all 
the  cities  about  the  lake  in  our  Lord's  time,  and  the  city  He  chose 
for  a  home  after  leaving  Nazareth.  The  site  of  this  ancient  city  is 
now  called  by  the  natives  Tell-Hum.  There  are  two  ways  by 
which  Capernaum  may  be  reached  ;  one  is  by  skirting  the  shore  as 
much  as  possible  over-land  ;  the  other,  by  crossing  the  historic  lake 
in  small  boats  especially  built  for  that  purpose.  The  latter  is  far 
the  best  way ;  it  affords  a  good  opportunity  to  see  both  the  south- 
east and  northwest  shores  to  a  greater  advantage,  and  also  the  hills 
and  valleys  round  about.  Another  advantage  of  crossing  in  the 
boat  is,  the  visitor  may  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  of  reading 
up  the  topography  of  each  place  before  arriving,  which  will  be  a 
valuable  aid  to  any  one  who  seeks  to  obtain  the  general  history  of 
the  place  about  to  be  visited.  We  have  found  in  several  instances, 
the  guides  must  be  questioned  by  those  whom  they  have  in  charge ; 
otherwise  they  will  furnish  but  a  meagre  account  of  some  of  the 
most  historic  places. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  the  site  of  ancient  Capernaum  has  long 
been  disputed,  as  all  other  places  whose  identity  has  not  been 
developed  beyond  all  possible  doubt;  the  reason  for  these  unsettled 
opinions  has  been  explained.  But  there  have  been  recent  develop- 
ments, caused  by  more  minute  examinations,  which  point  to  Tell- 
Hum  as  the  most  probable  site  of  ancient  Capernaum.  One  of 
the  most  important  discoveries  is  the  ruins  of  an  old  synagogue, 
and  several  ancient  tombs.  There  are  many  fragments  of  the  old 
synagogue  scattered  over  the  ground  which  have  been  carefully 
examined  ;  and  from  the  many  illustrations  they  develop,  it  has 
been  concluded  they  are  the  remains  of  the  synagogue  built  by  the 
Roman  centurion,  who  sent  for  our  Lord  to  come  and  heal  his 
servant,  and  afterwards  thought  himself  unworthy  for  Him  to 
come  under  his  roof.  If  the  opinion  with  regard  to  it  is  true,  it  is 
also  the  place  in  which  our  Lord  delivered  that  most  impressive 
sermon  on  the  "bread  of  life."  (St.  Luke  vii.  5).  Up  the  slope 
behind  the  synagogue,  are  many  ruins  of  an  ancient  city,  spreading 
over  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile;  and  it  is  evident  the  greater 
number  of  them  have  not  been  discovered,  for  they  are  deeply 
buried  under  ground. 

Capernaum  is  called  by  St.  Matthew  our  Lord's  "  own  city  ; " 
the  Holy  Scriptures  refer  to  it  many  times,  but  it  has  come  to 
naught ;  and  any  one  walking  amidst  the  ruins  of  the  fallen  city, 
cannot  fail  to  see  the  literal  fulfillment  of  the  Lord's  prediction  as 


438  THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

to  its  dreadful  fate.  There  is  at  present  a  small  Latin  convent  at 
Capernaum,  near  the  site  of  the  old  synagogue ;  it  was  not  finished 
at  the  time  of  my  visit,  but  was  in  hopeful  progress.  The  custo- 
dian was  very  polite,  and  seemed  to  be  willing  to  do  all  necessary 
to  make  strangers  comfortable.  It  is  the  usual  luncheon  place  for 
those  who  arrive  there  about  noon.  One  can  almost  imagine  him- 
self to  be  living  in  the  time  of  our  Lord,  as  he  walks  amid  the 
scenes  of  those  ancient  localities  where  He  performed  many  mighty 
works,  although  he  looks  in  vain  for  the  beautiful  cities  that  once 
crowned  the  hills  round  about,  through  whose  busy  streets  thous- 
ands passed  in  haste,  on  their  way  to  the  sea-shore,  looking  for 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth."  Yet  there  is  something  impressive  in 
"  Capernaum,"  especially  when  one  is  standing  on  or  near  the 
place  it  stood  (exalted  in  glory),  that  produces  an  impression  hard 
to  explain.  But  where  now  is  the  mighty  city  that  made  the  hill 
on  which  it  stood  vocal,  by  reason  of  multitudes  of  voices  of  Jews 
and  Gentiles?  Where  are  those  mighty  buildings  that  changed 
this  solitude  into  a  paradise  ?  All  have  fallen  to  rise  no  more,  for 
the  "  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  declared  it."  About  two  miles 
north  of  Capernaum  are  the  extensive  ruins  of  Chorazin,  having 
many  visible  remnants  of  its  ancient  buildings.  There  seems  to  be 
no  doubt  as  to  its  identity.  The  Bethsaida,  which  seems  to  have 
been  largely  inhabited  by  fishermen  and  their  families,  is  believed 
by  those  who  have  carefully  examined  the  site  to  have  been  located 
near  the  present  Tabighah,  close  to  the  edge  of  the  plain  of  Gen- 
nesaret,  where  the  German  Roman  Catholics,  have  founded  a 
colony.  It  is  regarded  as  the  most  desirable  place  along  the  north- 
west shore  for  a  fishing  village  to  be  located.  This  site  seems  to 
accord  with  the  description  the  Scriptures  give  of  it,  as  being  near 
the  sea. 

It  is  also  gratifying  to  make  a  short  visit  at  least,  over  to  Ger- 
gesa,  where  once  stood  the  city  of  the  Gergesenes,  in  the  district  of 
Gadara,  to  view  the  ''steep  place"  where  the  swine  ran  down  and 
"  were  choked  in  the  sea,"  when  the  legion  entered  them.  If  there 
have  been  no  changes  in  the  physical  condition  of  this  portion  of 
the  sea-shore,  there  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the  site  of  the 
event.  It  is  the  only  spot  along  the  eastern  shore  that  corresponds 
with  the  narrative.  The  hill  is  very  steep  and  runs  abruptly  into 
the  water,  without  having  any  margin  to  allow  one  to  walk  ;  but 
there  is  a  narrow  strip  of  shore,  everywhere  else  wide  enough  for 
persons  to  walk  between  the  sea  and  hills;  sometimes  the  space  is 


NOTED  PLACES  AROUND  SEA  OF  TIBERIAS.  439 

SO  narrow  only  one  can  pass  at  a  time,  but  the  "steep  place" 
runs  down  directly  into  the  sea.  It  has  been  said  that  travelers 
sometimes  become  confused  in  regard  to  the  several  names  given 
this  part  of  the  country  in  the  Bible,  and  some  have  been  disposed 
to  become  somewhat  skeptical,  thinking  the  Evangelists  contradict 
each  other. 

St.  Matthew  speaks  of  the  Gergesenes  in  his  narrative,  and  St. 
Mark  and  St.  Luke  call  them  the  Gadarenes.  But  it  should  be 
remembered  St.  Matthew  speaks  of  the  people  as  inhabitants  of  a 
city  in  the  province,  and  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke  refer  to  them  as 
citizens  of  that  country.  For  example,  we  may,  in  speaking  of  a 
person  or  people,  call  them  Marylanders,  meaning  they  live  in 
that  State ;  or,  we  might  call  them  Baltimoreans,  meaning  they 
live  in  Baltimore ;  but  this  would  not  conflict  with  the  fact  of 
them  being  ISIarylanders.  Gadara  was  the  district.  Gergesa  was 
a  city  in  the  district ;  therefore  the  Gergesenes  were  Gadarenes, 
and  the  statements  of  the  Apostles  are  in  harmony.  There  are 
three  or  four  other  places  in  the  region  of  the  sea  usually  visited 
that  should  be  at  least  briefly  mentioned.  These  are  the  two 
Bethsaidas,  Gadara  and  the  Jordan. 

On  the  northeast  side  of  the  sea  stood,  in  our  Lord's  time,  a 
beautiful  little  city  which  Philip  the  Tetrarch  enlarged  and  em- 
bellished, calling  it  Bethsaida  Julias,  in  honor  of  Julias,  daughter 
of  Augustus  of  Rome.  This  name  also  distinguished  it  from  the 
Bethsaida  on  the  edge  of  the  Gennesaret  plain  on  the  northwest 
shore. 

It  has  been  a  question  with  some  authors  as  to  whether  there 
existed  two  Bethsaidas  in  Galilee  ;  but  careful  investigations,  in 
connection  with  what  has  been  gleaned  from  the  Scriptures,  have 
disclosed  the  fact  of  their  existence  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  who 
have  taken  pains  to  find  out  the  facts  in  the  case.  It  is  believed 
both  places  were  comparatively  large  for  the  time,  and  were  thickly 
settled  with  a  busy  population  ;  one  of  them  was  located  on  the 
northwest,  adjacent  to  the  plain  of  Gennesaret,  where  Peter,  James, 
John,  Andrew,  and  Philip  lived,  at  least  for  a  while ;  for  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  former  afterward  moved  to  Capernaum. 
The  Bethsaida  Julias  was  situated  on  the  northeast  of  the  sea,  and 
north  of  Gergesa.  There  are  several  references  made  to  these  Beth- 
saidas in  the  Scriptures,  which  will  prove  interesting  to  the  Bible 
student,  Bethsaida  Julias  was  nearly  opposite  Capernaum.  The 
disciples  went  there  after  the  miracle  of  the  desert,  just  before  our 


440  THE   LAND  OF   PROMISE. 

Lord  went  with  them  to  Caesarea  Philippi.  Close  to  it  the  place  is 
located  where,  it  is  supposed,  the  multitudes  were  fed  when  Jesus 
blessed  the  seven  loaves  and  few  fishes.  St.  John  says,  "  The 
multitude  found  Him  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,"  which  is  an 
evidence  that  two  Bethsaidas  existed  at  that  time  :  for  the  one 
in  which  the  fishermen  lived  was  on  the  northwest.  It  will  be 
found  by  any  who  will  examine  the  Scriptures,  the  feeding  of  the 
four  thousand  men  and  a  large  number,  probably,  of  women  and 
children,  was  not  in  the  same  place  the  five  thousand  were  fed ;  the 
former  was  near  Bethsaida  Julias. 


INDEX. 


Page 

ABANA,  River 385 

^      Abraham 151-235-244 

Absalom 112-120 

Absalom's  Pillar 121 

Acre 363 

Acre,  Plain  of 363 

Ahab 310-317 

Ai 51 

Ajalon 51 

Allotments 21 

Antonia 134 

Arimathea 49-233 

Armed  Merchants  and  Shepherds  .    15 

Ashdod 50-302 

Asher 23 

Assyria 3 

jDEEROTH 232 

Beersheba 22 

Benjamin 23-236 

Bethany 104 

Bethel 235 

Bethesda,  Pool  of 70-129-130 

Beth-horou,  The 54 

Bethlehem •   .  168 

Bethsaida  • 431-439 

Bethsaida,  Julius      439 

Beth-zur 145 

Bezetha 95-99 

Boundary 2 

r^ESAREA  Philippi  ....  402-440 

^     Calvary 96-98 

Canaan     1 

Canaanites,  Primitive 375 

Capernaum 409 


Page 

Carmel,  Mt 357 

Cherith,  Brook 221-325 

Chorazin 438 

Climate 10-11-18 

DAMASCUS 388 

Dan,  Territory  of 238 

David's  Tomb 92-136 

Dead  Sea 186 

Decapolis 417 

Decline  of  Two  Kingdoms  .    .  309-315 
Dothan 290 

pBAL,  MT 269 

Ebenezer      60 

.Edom  or  Idumea 2 

Eglou 54 

Egypt 256 

Ekron 302 

Ehud        26 

Elah,  Brook 6 

El-Aksa,  Mo.sque  of 80 

Elijah 323 

Elisha 333 

Elisha's  Fountain 219 

Endor • 313-314 

Engannim 292 

Engedi 185 

Enon 286 

En-rogel 122 

Ephraim,  Territory  of 22 

Esdraelon,  Plain  of   .    .    .  292-313-314 

Eshcol 158 

Etham 1 78 

Euphrates 131 

441 


442 


INDEX. 


Page 

pALSE  Teachers  Rebuked  .    .    .315 

Farming  Implements    ....    14 

Frank,  Mt 361 

rAD 22 

Gadara .  439 

Galilee,  Province  of 348 

Galilee,  Sea  of 434 

Gath 50-302 

Gaza 302 

General  Character  of  Hebrews   .    .    20 

Gergesa 439 

Gerizim 257-268-269-272 

Gethsemane 108 

Gibeah     231 

Gibeon  or  Il-Jib      68-121 

Gideon     297 

Gilboa,  Mt 292 

Gilead 113 

Gilgal 218 

Golgotha 96-98 

Gomorrah 195 

UAIFA 362 

Harod,  Well  of 298 

Haran 74-236 

Hatten,  Mt 417 

Hazor 50 

Hebron    146-152-113 

Hermou,  Mt 429 

Hermon,  Little 292 

Herod 76,  200 

Hinnom,  Valley  of 122 

Holy  Nativity,  Church  of    ....  169 

ISRAEL,  Idolatry  of 124 

Issachar 314 

JACOB'S  WELL 252 

•^     Jabiu 56 

Jebus 85 

Jehoshaphat,  Valley  of    .    .    .113-136 

Jephthah 30 

Jerichos 218 

Jerusalem 62 


Page 

Jezreel 308-309 

Joppa 43 

Jorara 310 

.Jordan,  River 208 

Jordan,  ^^alley  of 208 

Joseph's  Tomb 264 

Judah,  Kingdom  of 238 

Judea,  Wilderness  of 185 

Judges 25 

j/EDESH   Naphtali 294 

Kedron,  Valley  of    .    .    .  131-139 

Khan 405 

King's  Garden 178 

Kirjath-Arba 151 

Kirjath-Jearim 53 

Kishon,  Brook  .    .        361 

T  EBANON,  MT 384-430 

Landmarks 16 

Lebanon,  Anti- 385 

Lebonah 250 

Levi 23 

Levites        24 

Lydda 49 

]V/|ACHFELAH 153-155 

^^     Magdala 436 

Mahanaim 118 

Makkedah 56 

Mamre 150 

Manasseh 22 

Mar-Saba 179 

Mecca 394 

Merom,  Lake 57 

Midian •   ...  296 

Mizpeh 59 

Moab 200 

Moriah,  Mt 93-101-135 

Mukhna,  Plain  of 251 

AJABOTH'S  Vineyard   .    .    .  310-311 

^       Nain 311-313 

Names  Given  Palestine 1-2 

Naphtali,  Tribe  of 23 


INDEX. 


443 


Nazareth 340 

Nebo,  Mt 215 

Nebo  and  Pisgah,  View  of  ...    .  20S 

Neby-Samuel 59 

Neby-Da'rid 138 

Nob  .    .    ., 230 

ABADIAH 325 

^     01ive,s,  Mt.  of  103-107-131 

Old  Judges  Revenged IB 

Omar,  Mosque  of 75 

Ophel 128 


PALESTINE  .... 

Permanent  Homes 


Persians 

Philistia 

Phoenicia 

Physical  Formation  of  the  Country 

Pisgah,  Mt 

Political  Status 

Pools  of  Solomon 

Potter's  Field 

Prophets 

Proselytes  to  Baal 


17 

182 

4 


214 
7-10 
176 
123 
318 
315 


D  ACHEL'S  TOMB 164 

Ramah  of  Benjamin     ....  232 

Ramah  of  Samuel 233 

Ramleh .    49 

Reuben 21 

Rimmon,  Plouse  of 397 


CAMARIA 

Samuel .    .    .    ,    . 

Scopus 131 

Seir,  Mt 

Shamgar 

Sharon,  Plain  of 

Shechem         153 

Shiloh      

Shnnammite  Woman 

Siddim,  Valley  of 

Sidon 

Siloam,  Pools  of 

Simon,  Sou  of  a  Star 

Sodom      

Solomon 

Sychar     

Syria 


P.\OE 

273 

31 

-228 

295 

27 

47 

-265 

246 

335 

207 

366 

129 

359 

195 

176 

259 

3 


TABERNACLE   ........  23 

^      Tabor 400 

Tell-Hum 409 

Tiberias 419 

Tirzah 276 

Titus 131 

Tyre 128 

Tyropeau,  Valley 128 


7EBULUN,  Territory  of   ...    23 
Zion ".    .  101-135-143 


Zoar 


200 


■■y 


irj. 


c-'  y  ~-l>^f^;\_ 


'in/y-'^-h^ 


